When Is My Child Safe Wearing Only a Seatbelt?

Automobile safety is nothing something that is only relevant to drivers. In fact, children who are riding in vehicles are often some of the most injured in accidents and are at risk if safety practices aren’t followed. While a seatbelt is an important safety feature in cars, it is not sufficient for children that are too small and who may wriggle their way out of a seatbelt. This raises the question of where the cutoff is for only wearing a seatbelt versus a car seat or booster seat.

According to the State of Florida, the mandatory age for a child to be in a car seat is 5 years of age. This means that if your child is 5 or younger, he or she must be in a car seat. This law also specially designates that 4 and 3 and younger children respectively must also have their own car seat. For children in this age range, a seatbelt is certainly not sufficient therefore.

In the case of older children, while there are no legal requirements, it is recommended that smaller children still be placed in a booster seat. 4 feet 9 inches is the recommended height that a person should at least be at for safe riding and therefore if a child is smaller than this, it is advised that they have a booster seat. This is primarily because this is the height in which a seat belt fits comfortably and is most effective.

Even if all safety protocols are followed, accidents and injuries still occur. If that happens, we at the Franco Firm are here to help you win the compensation you deserve through your personal injury case. For more information, please call us at (813) 872-0929.