Child passenger restraint requirements vary based on age, weight and height. Often, this happens in three stages: infants use rear-facing infant seats; toddlers use forward facing child safety seats; and older children use booster seats.
Many laws require all children to ride in the rear seat whenever possible, and most states permit children over a particular age, height or weight to use an adult safety belt. First offense fines for not complying with a state’s child passenger safety laws vary from $10 to $500. Some states also use driver’s license points as an additional penalty for noncompliance.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands require child safety seats for infants and children fitting specific criteria.
47 states and the District of Columbia require booster seats or other appropriate devices for children who have outgrown their child safety seats but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely. The only states lacking booster seat laws are Arizona, Florida and South Dakota.
5 states (California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and New York) have seat belt requirements for school buses. Texas will require them on buses purchased after September 2010.
To view the full list of state requirements here at the Governer’s Highway Safety Association.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Families increasingly concerned about babies’ sun safety
By Blair Koch
Times-News correspondent
With a rainstorm finally blown through Magic Valley, Tuesday’s clear sky and beautiful day brought an opportunity for
sisters Olivia Alvarez and Isabel Flores to take their children for a walk through historic downtown Twin Falls.
Both had baby girls tucked comfortably in strollers and other children skipping beside them. The older kids had been covered with sunscreen prior to the outing, and the infants were under canopies – safer from the sun’s rays in the shade.
“I’ve got the sunscreen right here,” Flores said, pulling a tube out of a diaper bag. “For later.”
Flores said she would have put sunscreen on her 5-month-old daughter, Madison, along with her other kids but recently learned the chemicals aren’t safe for her.
“I have a hat here but didn’t put it on her since the canopy is over her and that should keep her safe,” Flores said. “If she comes out of the stroller, the hat will go on.”
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Baby Product Experts
We are excited to learn that most of our Baby News Stores were recently certified as Baby Product Experts by babyproductexperts.com, with more on the way. Our congratulations go out to these Baby News stores for the recognition of exceptional product expertise and outstanding customer service that they deserve. It is the reason why these stores still thrive in a big-box retailer world.
About BabyProductExperts.com
BabyProductExperts.com is an association made up of hundreds of infant and teen furniture and accessory specialty stores throughout the United States. These stores sell and provide expert advice on thousands of products for parents, infants and children. Juvenile specialty stores on our site are normally locally owned and provide additional services often not available at nationally owned chains. Our stores provide outstanding service and quality products at a competitive price.
May 6th WPIX morning news interviewed Andrew Rabinowitz founder of R babyfoundation.org. He told the story of his daughter’s death and how it could have been avoided (full story below). His daughter had a viral infection which had it been diagnosed she would have probably survived. It is important that parents realize how necessary it is that in an emergency situation they take the child to a hospital where a pediatric doctor is present day and night. New parents should speak to their pediatrician about this.
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Munire Urban Convertible Crib
It is no doubt that the crib market is flooded with convertible cribs, 3 in 1 cribs, or grow with me cribs. What ever name you want to call it…the crib you buy today is an investment piece of furniture that will be with your child well in to their teen years or even beyond. Therefore, you want to make sure the crib you are buying is made to withstand your child’s childhood! When selecting a convertible crib make sure you really like the styling of the head and foot boards. It is these two pieces that will make the full size bed you will use later. Most retailers will have a picture of what a crib will look like made into a full size bed. Some crib manufactures will include the full size rails in the purchase price of the crib. Read the rest of this entry »
