Regardless of the law, what is RECOMMENDED for seat belt use?
Are there differences between what this law allows and what is recommended for buckling up children? Legal requirements can be considered to be “minimum standards” for motor vehicle occupants. What is allowed under the law is not necessarily what is recommended to provide the best protection for a child or adult. For instance, switching a child to a seat belt at 40 pounds is legal, but seat belts do not fit small children very well and belt-positioning booster seats are recommended for children too small for the belts to fit well. Recommendations are that for best protection: A child less than one year of age, OR less than 20 pounds, should ride in a rear-facing infant-only or convertible safety seat. Many convertible seats are rated to at least 30 pounds rear-facing so that almost all children can be kept facing to the rear as long as possible. Children at least one year old AND who weigh at least 20 pounds should ride in a front-facing seat with a full harness or harness-shield until
