Kentucky Car Seat Laws

In most parts of the country, people depend on cars to get them just about everywhere they need to go. Cars offer convenient and reliable transportation, but unfortunately, getting on the road comes with serious risks as well. Just last year, over 40,000 people died in car accidents across the 50 states. Each year, children of all ages are part of this sad statistic, and many of these deaths can be prevented by the proper use of restraints (like a booster seat or car seat). According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the risk of being fatally injured in a car accident can be reduced by as much as three quarters for children under the age of three by properly restraining children in the back seat instead of the front. The risk of dying in a car accident can be cut almost in half for children between four and eight by the same simple measure.

Although automakers have taken strides to make their vehicles safer by implementing strategically placed airbags and collision avoidance and warning systems, other factors have kept mortality rates high. On today’s roads, a large percentage of deadly accidents are caused by distracted driving, speeding, and people who do not use proper restraints like seatbelts for adults and car and booster seats for children. With technology like smart phones and tablets making it more and more difficult for drivers to keep their eyes on the road, it may be more important than ever to maximize safety by ensuring that your children are properly seated and restrained. Additionally, many states, including Kentucky, have laws on the books mandating specific seating requirements for children.

In order to follow the law and to keep your kids as safe as possible, you must make sure that your car seat or booster seat meets necessary safety standards and regulations. Car seats that don’t or that have faulty parts or functionality are recalled. To see if your car seat has been recalled you can visit carseat.org and enter the name of your manufacturer and the model number of your car seat.

To ensure the effectiveness of your child’s car or booster seat, it’s important to verify that it has been installed correctly in your vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over half of child safety seats are installed incorrectly. When used properly, these seats are over 70% effective in reducing infant fatalities in car accidents, and over 50% effective in reducing fatalities of children between the ages of one and four.

To verify that your car or booster seat has been installed correctly, contact your local fire department. If your child has been injured in a car accident, contact a personal injury attorney today.