Daniel Prince
We look at what SC law requires
Child Passenger Safety Week runs through this Saturday. Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children, even though the rate of deaths for children younger than 13 in car crashes is less than a quarter of what it was in 1975. Proper restraint use can reduce crash deaths and injuries even more. Choose the right restraint for your child’s age and size, and always seat kids in the rear. All infants and toddlers should ride rear-facing until they reach the height or weight limit of their child restraints, which may not be until age 2 or older.
Once they outgrow rear-facing restraints, children should ride in a harness-equipped forward-facing child restraint until they reach the height or weight limit of the child restraint. Top tethers should be used whenever a child restraint is installed forward-facing.
When children outgrow child restraints, they should use belt-positioning booster seats until adult seat belts fit properly.
What is the law in South Carolina for children? Those younger than 2 must be in a rear-facing child restraint until they exceed the manufacturer height or weight limit. Those younger than 2 who outgrow rear-facing systems and those 2 and older must be in forward-facing restraints with harness until exceeding the manufacturer height and weight limit. Those 4 and older who outgrow forward-facing child restraints must be in belt-positioning booster seats using lap or shoulder belts until they are 8 years old or at least 4’ 9” tall. Adult safety belts are permissible at age 8 or at 4’ 9” tall if the lap belt fits across the hips and thighs rather than the abdomen; if the shoulder belt crosses the center of the chest and not the neck; and if the knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with the child’s back firmly against the seat back. Those 7 and younger must be in the rear seat of a vehicle if available. For more information, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s website at www.iihs.org.