HELENA — On Wednesday, a new Montana law went into effect, updating the state’s child passenger safety law.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, proper use of a child car seat can reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.
House Bill 586, which was passed by the legislature earlier this year, mandates the type of restraint a parent or caregiver must place on a child while in a motor vehicle.
Under the new law:
- A child under 2 years must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat that complies with federal safety standards.
- Children aged 2 to 4 must be in a rear-facing or forward-facing child safety seat with an internal harness.
- Children aged 4 to 8 need to be in a forward-facing child safety seat or a booster seat.
- If the child is 9 or older, or the child has outgrown the height and weight limits of a booster, they must be secured with a standard seat belt.
There’s always a risk of being involved in a crash when out on the road. In the United States, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids, accounting for around 20 percent of adolescent deaths each year. However, proper seat belt use helps reduce the severity of injury in a crash.
The Montana Department of Transportation partners with organizations across the state to offer car seat checks. More information can be found here.
