August 1 crackdown will force drivers to take special precautions for their passengers – violators face instant $50 fine

A US state passed a new law going into effect this week that will enforce rules regarding child safety protocols when in a vehicle.

Even out of a car seat, children within certain height and weight parameters are protected under the new law .

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Getty

Minnesota passed a statewide law to keep children safer while riding in a car, from a rear-facing car seat to when they’re just out of a booster seat.

All car seats sold in the US have specific instructions on how to install them in a car and how to properly secure a child

But the state’s new law goes beyond that by enforcing restrictions.

The restrictions will be heavily enforced, officers warn, with a crackdown that will result in an immediate $50 ticket to parents not following the new law.

Restrictions range from when a child can be front-facing in their car seat to where a child under 13 should sit when riding as a passenger.

Alison Sheao, a safety instructor for child passenger safety, said many children are injured in car accidents despite being in a car or booster due to a lack of knowledge by parents.

“We’re finding that a lot of caregivers are transitioning their children out of a booster seat prematurely because they feel like their child is big enough to be in a lap and shoulder belt only,” she told Fox affiliate KQDS-TV .

“But we’re actually finding that children that are removed prematurely are prone to injuries on impact.”

The new changes as part of the bill include:

• All children under two must be in a rear-facing or convertible child safety seat
• Children under two who can’t fit in either of the first two options must sit in car seats with internal harnesses
• Children over four who no longer fit within internal harness seats must use a belt-positioning booster seat
• Riders over nine years old can move out of their seats if they pass the state’s new five-step tool

The five steps involve several factors to test a child’s readiness to ride without a child-specific seat.

The five steps include:

• The ability to sit with their back completely flat against the vehicle’s rear seat
• Their ability to stay awake during a car ride
• The capability of keeping their knees at a 90-degree angle in the rear seat
• The ability to keep the seat belt across their hips
• The ability to keep the crossbody belt across their chest

Sheao reinforced the importance of an infant or toddler being rear-facing for as long as they can.

She explained how a child is better protected when in an accident – particularly for a child’s head and neck.

“When a car seat is rear facing, the shell of the seat is going to take the impact,” she said.

Inside the 5-step tool

Children must fit these five specifications before parents can remove the safety seat:

• The child sits all the way back with their shoulders and hips touching the seat back
• Child’s knees must bend over the seat’s end
• Seat belt must cross the child’s hips, not their thighs
• Seat belt must cross the child’s chest, not their neck
• Child must sit correctly without slouching or napping during the duration of a ride

Children under nine must sit in a car seat until they match these requirements.

Per Minnesota Safety Council .

“If you were in an accident, if that child is forward facing, the impact is going to go across the harness and that child is going to go forward.”

In case any parents aren’t sure, a local fire department can evaluate a car seat’s integrity and make sure it’s properly installed.

In Duluth, Minnesota, parents can trade in their old seats for newer, safer ones, the outlet reported.

If low-income parents can’t afford a durable car seat, some programs are available to help such families secure a car seat.