What Are the Legal Requirements to Sit in the Front Seat

In special circumstances, if a child is unable to use a car seat or booster seat due to a physical or medical condition, the Secretary of State may exempt the child from complying with normally applicable Michigan seat belt laws. In such a case, the Minister may determine other forms of protection for the exempted child. Michigan law requires children under the age of 4 to drive in the rear seats of the vehicle whenever possible. However, if the available rear seats are occupied by children under 4 years of age, a child under 4 years of age may be in the front seat. The correct car seat or booster seat should always be used, regardless of the row in which a child is sitting. Check for recalls of products with car seats, especially if you remove a car seat after a certain amount of time or buy a used model, even from someone you trust. Car seat manufacturers often provide expiration dates for their seats, which are often between 6 and 8 years from the date of manufacture. Children must wear seat belts after exceeding the height and weight restrictions for booster seats. For maximum protection, children should use the lap belt/shoulder harness instead of the lap belt, which is only found on the rear seats of some vehicles. Your child should continue to use a booster seat until they reach a 4`9″ seat belt. You have a lot of questions, so we`ll break it all down for you and tell you how tall and how old your child should be to sit in the passenger seat.

We will address security issues, and then the question of legality from one state to another (this varies). Once your child has reached the maximum height and weight limits of a rear-facing seat and is at least two years old, you can upgrade to a forward-facing car seat. Front-facing car seats are designed to face forward to the rear of the vehicle and should be equipped with a five-point seat belt. But when can a child sit in the front seat? When is it legal? When is it really safe? Yes, car seats expire 6 to 10 years after the date of manufacture. The date of manufacture must be affixed to all car seats. It can usually be found on a sticker that includes the serial number, date of manufacture and expiration date, or cast into the shell at the back of the seat. If you can`t find the date a car seat was manufactured or expired, you should expect it to expire after 6 years. Car seat manufacturers in the U.S. are not required to provide an expiration date, although most do today. If your child is old enough to move safely with a seat belt, it`s always best to stay away from the front seat.

The back seat is always the safest for children. 8 years and older: Once the weight and height requirements for booster seats are met, children can sit in adult car seats. Your child can stop using a booster seat between the ages of 8 and 12 once they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. Essentially, booster seats should be used until your child can safely wear an adult seat belt, with the lap straps and shoulder straps in a comfortable position. In very hot climates like Texas, check that the car seat components have not been affected or damaged by heat. Before securing your baby in the seat, also check the temperature of the car seat parts, including straps and buckles, to avoid burns. For children under 2 years of age, parents must use a rear-facing car seat unless the child exceeds the height and weight requirements specified by the seat manufacturer. In addition, the airbag must be switched off each time a child is seated in a rear-facing seat. Note: The airbag must be deactivated when a rear-facing car seat is placed on the front seat. Children may be particularly susceptible to stroke injuries because their skeletal system is still growing. Infants are born with about 300 distinct bones, and the process of development and fusion that leads to the approximately 206 bones of a human adult takes place until growth stops around the age of 25. Sadly, in addition to the risk of serious injury, more than 85 children under the age of 12 have died in car accidents every year for the past 5 years, with most deaths totaling 106 in 2014.

Many of these results could have been different if the safety seats and restraint systems had been used appropriately. Prior to 1965, car and road manufacturers were not required to equip their vehicles with seat belts. Therefore, these vehicles are exempt from applicable Michigan car seat laws. However, parents should realize that it is a dangerous practice to allow a child or young teen to drive without a car seat or seat belt. Remember that a car seat must be properly installed to protect your child. If you need help installing a seat or determining which seat is best for your child, contact your local police or fire department.