Child Passenger Safety

The first car seats were invented in 1921, following the introduction of the Ford Model T. The earliest versions were essentially sacks with a drawstring attached to the back seat.

Legislation

In 1971, the federal government established minimum standards for child safety seats and restraint systems to reduce the number of children killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes. Today all states and territories have child passenger safety laws, although requirements of the laws vary widely.

Traffic safety groups agree that a strong child passenger safety law should:

• Cover all children up to age 16 in all seating positions.
• Be primary enforcement.
• Require all children to be in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seat).
• Require children younger than 13 to be properly secured in rear seats (provided the vehicle has them), unless all available rear seats are in use by children younger than 13.
• Apply to all vehicles equipped with seat belts; no vehicles (such as pickup trucks, taxis, or rental cars) should be exempt.
• Make the driver responsible for restraint use by children under 16, regardless of the relationship to the child.
• Allow passengers to ride only in seating areas equipped with seat belts and prohibit passengers in the cargo areas of pickup trucks.
• Ensure that children with special needs use proper restraints.
• Contain no exemptions, such as allowing children to be unsecured if all seat belts are in use, attending to the personal needs of the child, medical waivers, out-of-state vehicles, and/or drivers who are not the vehicle owner or who are not related to the child.