Child Passenger Safety

Child Passenger Safety Law

Iowa has a child passenger safety law effective July 1, 2004. The law specifies the following:

* Children must ride in an appropriate rear facing child safety seat until one year of age and at least 20 pounds.

* Children must ride in a child safety seat or a booster seat through the age of 5 years. (Seats must be used in accordance to manufacturer’s directions.)

* Children ages 6 through 10 must ride in a booster seat or a seat belt.

Iowa has enacted an 18-month education phase prior to full enforcement of this new law. Tickets for non-compliance with the components of the new law will not be issued until January 1, 2006. This gives families a year and a half to make appropriate plans to ensure safe travel with children.

Iowa’s current law has not been updated in 18 years and actually provides unsafe guidance to parents and caregivers. In 2001, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign graded all child passenger safety laws in the United States in comparison to the nationally recommended standards for traveling safely with children in motor vehicles. Iowa received an F grade and was ranked 46 out of 51 laws (50 states and DC). Before passage of this new law, Iowa had slipped to the 49th spot due to the fact that many other states have taken steps to upgrade their laws. Iowa now joins at a minimum 25 other states in upgrading old and outdated child passenger safety laws.

The appropriate use of child safety seats and booster seats greatly reduce the risk of death and injury to children in motor vehicle crashes. Currently, in Iowa nearly 40 children under the age of 16 are killed in crashes every year and more than 7900 children injured.

These guidelines will help protect children in Iowa from the number one cause of death, disability and injury -- motor vehicle crashes.

Questions? Contact Iowa SAFE KIDS at (515) 241-5963.

Source: Blank Children’s Hospital

A Guide to Safely Transporting Children in a Moving Vehicle

Common Child Safety Seat Misuses:

* Seat installed too loose
* Improper seating position (in front of an air bag)
* Not buckling child into restraint
* Not securely anchoring the child restraint to the vehicle
* Improper seat for child’s age and size
* Infant riding forward facing
* Harness retainer clip not at armpit level
* Loose harness straps

To graduate to an adult belt -- A child must be able to sit with their back/buttocks against the seat and with their knees bent at the edge of the seat. The belt system must be snug across the center of the child’s chest and across their lap at the hips.

Common Safety Belt Misuses for Children:

* Lap belt up on abdomen
* Lap belt loose; shoulder belt loose
* Shoulder belt behind back
* Shoulder belt under their arm