Car seats safety

The answer is C. Children need special safety restraints in vehicles until they've reached the end of their 12th year.

Also according to safety experts, children 12 years and younger should ride in the back seat. That's because passenger-side airbags, which can save lives, can be dangerous to younger children. An infant sitting in a rear-facing seat in the front can be killed by the explosive force of the airbag.

Here are the general rules for kids' car safety:

• Infants up to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds must ride in a rear-facing infant-only or convertible seat.
• Toddlers over one year and weighing 20 to 40 pounds need a forward-facing seat.
• Children from 40 to 80 pounds must sit in a booster seat that lets them wear the lap and shoulder belt properly
  

Resources

The state of Indiana offers a handy printable chart with instructions for parents.

The National Safe Kids Campaign Web site has good information on using car seats and other safety precautions for children.

June 15, 2002