Car Seat Program

• Use a booster seat correctly in a back seat every time your child rides in a car.
• Older kids get weighed and measured less often than babies, so check your child's growth a few times a year. Use a booster seat until your child weighs between 80 and 100 pounds, is about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test. For most children, that will be between ages 8 and 12.
• Tell all drivers who transport your child that booster seat use is a must when your child is in their vehicle.
• A booster seat uses no harness. It uses the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts only. Be sure the safety belt is properly buckled.
• Booster seats are not installed tightly. They sit on the vehicle seat; the child buckles the lap and shoulder belt and wears the safety belt like you do. Never use only the lap belt.
• Use the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts on every booster seat. Never place the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the child's back.
• Be sure all occupants wear safety belts correctly every time. Children learn from adult role models.

Indiana Child Restraint Law (Effective July 1, 2005)

• Children are required to ride properly restrained in a child restraint, which can include a belt positioning booster seat, until they reach their 8th birthday. (This does not include shoulder belt positioners.)
• Children at least 8 years old until their 16th birthday are required to ride properly restrained in a child restraint system or seat belt in all seating positions in all vehicles.
• If first time offenders of this violation bring a child safety seat or booster to court, the fine will be waived.
• Fees collected from violations will be entered into a fund to purchase child restraints for low income families throughout Indiana.

Exemptions:
If all lap/shoulder seat belts are being used by other children, then a child over 40 pounds may ride in a lap only seat belt without a child restraint. (Booster seats cannot be safely used with a lap only seat belt.)

Additional exemptions include vehicles such as:

• Ambulances and other emergency vehicles
• Motorcycles
• Public passenger buses
• School buses

Indiana Passenger Law (Effective July 1, 2007)

• Occupants 16 and older are required to ride properly restrained in a seat belt.
• This law applies to all seating positions in all vehicles, including pick-up trucks and SUVs.

Many parents are surprised to learn that safety belts generally do not fit children until they are between 8 and 12 years of age. Until that time, children who have outgrown a cars seat with a harness are safest in a booster seat.

Remember, car seats and booster seats are designed to protect children and make them comfortable at the same time. There's nothing comfortable about a too-big safety belt cutting into a child's stomach or pressing against his face. Plus, kids who ride on booster seats can easily see many things they would otherwise miss.

• Move children from booster seats to safety belts in a back seat only after the Safety Belt Fit Test is passed in every vehicle. Return your child to a booster seat if the safety belt does not fit perfectly.
• Use the Safety Belt Fit Test on any child you transport in your car.
• Ensure that all kids sit upright when using safety belts. Never let them lean against windows or car doors or lie down. Never put the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the child's back.
• Tell every driver who transports your child that safety belt use is a must when your child is in their vehicle.
• Teach your child to use a safety belt in a back seat in every vehicle he or she uses. This is most important when the child rides unsupervised in vehicles driven by family and friends.
• Wear your safety belt correctly every time you are in a car. Children learn from adult role models.

Safety Belt Fit Test

1. Have your child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat. Do his or her knees bend at the front edge of the seat? If they bend naturally, go to Number 2. If they don't, return to the booster seat.
2. Buckle the lap and shoulder belt. Be sure the lap belt lies on the upper legs or hips. If it does, go to Number 3. If it lies on the stomach, return to the booster seat.
3. Be sure the shoulder belt rests on the shoulder or collarbone. If it does, go to Number 4. If it's on the face or neck, return to the booster seat. Never put the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the child's back.
4. Check whether your child maintains the correct seating position for as long as you are in the car. If your child slouches or shifts positions so the safety belt touches the face, neck or stomach, return your child to the booster seat.