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Adobe Stock September 20, 2022 Lizzie Nealon is an insurance contributor for Bankrate and enjoys making home, auto and life insurance digestible for readers so they can prepare for the future. Maggie Kempken is an insurance editor for Bankrate. She helps manage the creation of insurance content that meets the highest quality standards for accuracy and clarity to help Bankrate readers navigate complex information about home, auto and life insurance. She also focuses on ensuring that Bankrate’s insurance content represents and adheres to the Bankrate brand. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. To help readers understand how insurance affects their finances, we have licensed insurance professionals on staff who have spent a combined 47 years in the auto, home and life insurance industries. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation of how we make money. Our content is backed by LLC, a licensed entity (NPN: 19966249). For more information, please see our Insurance Disclosure. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. We’ve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by and edited by , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Our insurance team is composed of agents, data analysts, and customers like you. They focus on the points consumers care about most — price, customer service, policy features and savings opportunities — so you can feel confident about which provider is right for you. We guide you throughout your search and help you understand your coverage options. We provide up-to-date, reliable market information to help you make confident decisions. We reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible. All providers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide. And we constantly review our criteria to ensure we’re putting accuracy first. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity
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Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Bankrate logo How we make money
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Bankrate logo Insurance Disclosure
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. More than 600 child passengers aged 12 and below died in motor vehicle crashes in 2019, the latest year for which data is available. Of the children who passed away, nearly 40% were not buckled up. Thinking about child safety can be difficult — but making sure you have the right safety gear in place is an important part of keeping your child safe. Even when correct safety gear such as restraints and booster seats are used — they’re used incorrectly nearly half the time, according to the (CDC). Reading up on your child’s safety restraint systems could help you keep them safe. Booster and car seat safety statistics and facts
Car seat safety statistics and car seat death statistics are never easy to read. However, arming yourself with the facts may help you keep your family safe in the car. Auto Car Child safety seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury by 71% for infants aged one and below, and by 54% for toddlers between one and four years of age. 67% of children riding with unrestrained drivers were also unrestrained, based on known restraint use. (NHTSA) 608 children aged 12 and under passed away and 91,000 were injured in a motor vehicle crash in 2019. () 38% of children who passed away in a car accident in 2019 were not using a restraint. (CDC) 23% of children passengers who passed away were involved in a car accident that involved alcohol-impaired driving. (CDC) Using a booster seat reduces the risk of serious injury in children ages four to eight by 45%. (CDC) Seat belt use reduces the risk of death and serious injury by about half for older children and adults. (CDC) Children under one year old should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. () Approximately 8.2% of children under one year old were not in rear-facing car seats in 2019. (NHTSA) Car seat types
Several different types of cars are available to help keep your child safe. Your child’s age and individual needs will likely influence the type of car seat that works best for them. Rear-facing car seat
Best for infants, from newborns to three-year-olds Designed to mitigate stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord Forward-facing car seat
Best for toddlers between the ages of four and seven Designed with a buckled harness that limits your child’s movement in the event of an accident Booster
Best for children between the ages of four and 12 Raises a child’s body so that the car’s seat belt sits correctly over the child’s hips and chest Seat belt
Best for children and adults age 12 and above, provided they’re big enough so that the belt fits properly Should fit snugly across thighs, shoulder and chest Car and booster seat safety laws by state
If you’re looking for ways to keep your family safe in the car, remember that enforcing is one of the best ways to do that. Each state has its own booster seat guidelines and car seat laws.
Car and booster seat safety laws by state
State Must be in safety seat Maximum base fine for a first offense Preference for rear seat Alabama Until age 6 $25.00 No Alaska Until 57” tall, 65 lbs $50.00 No Arizona Until age 7, 57” tall $50.00 No Arkansas Until age 6, 60 lbs $100.00 No California Until age 8, 57” tall $100.00 Yes, for children 7 and below who are shorter than 57″ Colorado Until age 8 $81.00 Yes, for children one year and younger and less than 20 lbs. Connecticut Until age 8 $50.00 No Delaware Until age 8 $25.00 Yes, for children 11 and younger and 65″ or less District of Columbia Until age 8 $75.00 No Florida Until age 6 $60.00 No Georgia Until age 8 $50.00 Yes, for children 7 and below Hawaii Until age 10, 4’ 9” tall $100.00 No Idaho Until age 7 $79.00 No Illinois Until age 8 $75.00 No Indiana Until age 8 $25.00 No Iowa Until age 6 $25.00 No Kansas Until age 8 $60.00 No Kentucky Until age 8 $50 for child restraint; $30 for booster seat No Louisiana Until age 9 $100.00 Yes, for children 12 years and younger Maine Until age 8, 57”, 80 lbs $50.00 Yes, for children 11 years and younger, and less than 100 lbs Maryland Until age 8, 57” $50.00 No Massachusetts Until age 8, 57” $25.00 No Michigan Until age 8, 57” $10.00 Yes, for children 3 years and younger Minnesota Until age 8, 57” $50.00 No Mississippi Until age 7, 57” $25.00 No Missouri Until age 8, 4’ 9” tall, 80 lbs $50.00 No Montana Until age 5, 60 lbs $100.00 No Nebraska Until age 8 $25.00 Yes, for children 7 and younger Nevada Until age 6, 57” tall $500.00 Yes, for children 2 years and younger New Hampshire Until age 7, 57” tall $50.00 No New Jersey Until age 8, 57” tall $75.00 Yes, for children 7 years and younger, less than 57″ tall New Mexico Until age 7, 60 lbs $25.00 Yes, for children younger than one year in a rear-facing car seat New York Until age 8 $100.00 No North Carolina Until age 8, 80 lbs $25.00 Yes, for children 4 and younger under 40 lbs. North Dakota Until age 7 $25.00 No Ohio Until age 8, 57” tall, 40 lbs $75.00 No Oklahoma Until age 8, 4” 9’ tall $50.00 No Oregon Until 4” 9’ and 40 lbs $115.00 No Pennsylvania Until age 8 $75.00 No Rhode Island Until age 8, 57”, 80 lbs $85.00 Yes, for children 7 and younger South Carolina Until age 8 or 57” tall $150.00 Yes, for children 7 and younger South Dakota Until age 5 and 40 lbs $25.00 No Tennessee Until age 9 and 4’ 9” tall $50.00 Yes, for children 8 and younger and less than 4′ 9″ tall Texas Until age 8 and 57” tall $25.00 No Utah Until age 8 and 57” tall $45.00 No Vermont Until age 8 and 20 lbs $25.00 Yes, for children younger than one year or less than 20 lbs Virginia Until age 8 $50.00 Yes, for children in rear-facing devices Washington Until age 5 and 4’ 9” tall $124.00 Yes, for children 12 years and younger. West Virginia Until 8 and 4’ 9” tall $20.00 No Wisconsin Until 8, 57”, 80 lbs $75.00 Yes, for children 3 and younger Wyoming Until age 9 $50.00 Yes, for children 8 and younger Another way to ensure your peace of mind in the car is to ensure you have the best car insurance available. The depends on your individual needs and preferences. Some shoppers are looking for the on the market. Per Bankrate’s research, you can find the lowest average full coverage premiums at USAA and Geico. However, these rates are for comparative purposes only. To see a more accurate picture of what you’d pay, you may want to from a few different companies. You may also want to talk to friends and family to see what company they recommend. Frequently asked questions
When can a child move from a car seat to a booster seat
Five-point harness car seats should have height and weight limits listed on them. Typically, children are ready to graduate from car seats to booster seats between the ages of five and nine.
When can my child move out of their booster seat
Your booster seat should note height and weight recommendations on it. When your child is seated in the booster seat, the seat belt should fit snugly across the child’s torso and hips without being uncomfortable.
How can I make my car safer for kids
The first step is to make sure your child is properly restrained in the car. Ensure that your child doesn’t exceed the height and weight limits listed on their car seat or booster seat. Never leave children in a hot car — even if you’re just running inside for a moment. Talk to your children about not playing near vehicles and staying away from cars when they’re backing up. SHARE: Lizzie Nealon is an insurance contributor for Bankrate and enjoys making home, auto and life insurance digestible for readers so they can prepare for the future. Maggie Kempken is an insurance editor for Bankrate. She helps manage the creation of insurance content that meets the highest quality standards for accuracy and clarity to help Bankrate readers navigate complex information about home, auto and life insurance. She also focuses on ensuring that Bankrate’s insurance content represents and adheres to the Bankrate brand. Related Articles