HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — With the school year approaching and more businesses reopening during the pandemic; parents may need a refresher course on Alabama’s Child Restraint Laws. Some of them might surprise you.
Under Alabama state law, ALL passengers in a vehicle must be buckled in properly. But, Alabama requires all infants to be correctly fastened into “rear-facing” car seats or convertible seats.
Parents, did you know that if your child is under 5 years old or weighs less than 40 pounds, the law requires you to have them in a car seat?
When it comes to securing your older passenger’s seat belts, buckling up is important for more reasons than you’d realize. Of course, wearing your seat belt can always help save your life if and accident were to occur. But, as the driver, you might want to double-check that everyone in the car is secured before taking off. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a driver is 137% more likely to be killed in a crash if a backseat passenger sitting directly behind them is unbuckled.
Remember to check that your teens are buckled in as well! If you’re driving in the state of Alabama, and anyone under the age of 15 inside your car is not properly buckled in, you will be legally held responsible if you were to be pulled over by law enforcement.
These laws apply to the front and back seats of all vehicles.
If you or anyone you know is unsure of how to correctly secure a child into a car seat, and/ or which car seat your child should be using, here are some local organizations that will help!
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