New Massachusetts Law on Child Passenger Safety

Recently, and as previously noted by Massachusetts Law Updates Massachusetts has passed a new child passenger safety bill. The new law provides: "No child under the age of eight and measuring less than fifty-seven inches in height shall ride as a passenger in a motor vehicle on any way unless such child is properly fastened and secured, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, by a child passenger restraint."

As explained on the Massachusetts government website, the new Massachusetts Child Safety Passenger Law, as of July 10, 2008, will

require children to ride as passengers motor vehicles in a federally approved child passenger restraint that is properly fastened and secured until they are 8 years old OR over 57" tall. The expanded law will require a booster seat/safety belt combination for children who have outgrown a child safety seat - typically when they are above age five or 40 pounds - until they are 8 years old OR over 57" tall. The Massachusetts Safety Belt Law requires safety belt use by those 13 years of age and older.

The federal regulations for child safety seats can be found at 49 CFR 571.213. For comprehensive information on passenger safety for children of all sizes, see the following from the website of the American Academy of Pediatrics: Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2008.

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