To download the brochure on all child passenger safety laws in Georgia, click here.

Q: Why Was the Law Revised?

A: “It is important that we protect the lives of our children by ensuring every young Georgian is properly secured while riding in a motor vehicle, “said Governor Deal. “I am grateful for the work that both chambers did to make this legislation a reality.”

 

In 2008, a total of 14,154 children ages 6-8 years in Georgia were involved in motor vehicle crashes. Of those children, 1,755 were injured and 10 were killed. Only 12% of these children were reported to be using a supplemental restraint, such as a child safety seat or a booster seat, in addition to the adult seat belt. In the three-year period from 2005 to 2007, hospitalization charges for 248 children who were hospitalized due to motor vehicle traffic related injuries were about $7 million. An additional $5 million in charges was for the 5,111 emergency room visits for the same period.

 

”Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta came to me and said during the last four years 95 percent of the patients they saw for injuries resulting from a motor vehicle crash between the ages of 6 and 8 were improperly restrained,” said Georgia’s State Senator Jeff Mullis. “I believe it is our responsibility to protect our children and when there is an obvious problem, we need to fix it. I was honored they asked me to work on this issue on behalf of children all across Georgia.”

 

To read the full article from the Bill signing go here-http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/whatsnewatgohs/viewnews.asp?newsID=578

Q: Are there any exceptions to the law?

A: Yes.

 

Exemptions:

• Children under age 8 whose height is over 4’9” or 57”

• Parent or Guardian has a written statement from a Physician that the child has a physical or medical condition that prevents placing or restraining them as required by law

 

Exceptions:

A child under age 8 and weighing at least 40 pounds is not exempt from the law. They may use a lap belt only instead of a car seat or booster seat when:
• The vehicle is not equipped with lap & shoulder belts; or

• Excluding the driver’s seat, all seating positions with lap & shoulder belts are being used to restrain other children. In this case, the placement of car seats / boosters seats should be evaluated to determine if they can be repositioned to provide the best protection for all children being transported.

A child under age 8 may only be in the front seat, properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat when:

• The vehicle has no rear seating position appropriate for correctly restraining a child, or
• All appropriate rear seating positions are occupied by other children.

Q: Are there any vehicle exemptions?

A: Yes. Drivers, who transport children under age 8 in a taxicab or public transit vehicle, are exempt from the law. (Taxicab is defined as a motor vehicle used to transport passengers for a fare and which is fitted with a taxi meter to compute such fare. Public transit vehicle is defined as a bus, van, or rail car used for the transportation of passengers within a system which receives a subsidy from tax revenues or is operated under a franchise contract with a county or municipality of this state). Standard school buses and multifunctional school activities buses, as defined in the Federal Register, are also exempt.

 

 

Q: Why are booster seats needed?

A: Seat belts are made for adults and do not fit young children correctly. Booster seats raise children up so the adult seat belt fits them. Booster seats position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest, not the neck. Booster seats also keep the lap belt low over the hip and thigh bones, not across the belly. Children using booster seats are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than those using a seat belt alone.

 

Q: Are church-based daycare operations required to use booster seats to transport

 

eight-year- old children in a 16-passenger van?

A: Yes, Georgia Law requires that every driver who transports a child eight years of age and younger in a passenger automobile, van, or pickup truck must restrain the child in a child safety seat. Exceptions to the law are listed in the above questions.

Q: My son rides a school bus to Headstart at our local elementary school.

 

Does state law require him to ride in a child safety seat on the bus?

A: If the school bus used to transport your son to Headstart is a standard school system bus, it is not addressed under this law.

 

 

Child Passenger Safety Tips

Current car seat recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.

• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.

• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.

• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

 

Skipping a step could put kids at risk

 

 

Birth – 12 months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

 

 

1 – 3 years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

 

 

4 – 7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

 

 

8 – 12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

 

 

Have your child safety seats inspected by a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST). For information on Child Passenger Safety Seat Fitting Stations in Georgia, visit http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/childpassengersafety/inspectionstations.html.