Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and your passengers in a crash. It is extremely important to make sure all children riding in your car be properly secured before every trip.
Thousands of children are injured or killed every year because their child passenger safety seats are not installed properly. Remember, most collisions occur within a mile of the home - so buckle your child in a safety seat for every trip, no matter how short.
If you're not confident of how to properly secure your child in a safety seat, the following locations are resources within our community that can assist with car seat installations:
California Highway Patrol-Auburn (220)
9440 Indian Hill Road
Newcastle, CA 95658
Hours: Call for appointment
Phone: 916-663-3344
Lighthouse Family Resource Center
427 A St
Suite 400
Lincoln, CA 95648
Call for appointment.
Phone: 916-645-3300
Contact: Ana Ramirez
AAA
2796 E Bidwell St
Folsom, CA 95630
Hours: Call for appointment
Phone: 916-351-2629
Contact: Marie Punzal
California Highway Patrol (230)
11363 McCourtney Rd
Grass Valley, CA 95949
Hours: Please call for appointment.
Phone: 530-477-4900
Mercy San Juan Medical Center
6501 Coyle Ave
Carmichael, CA 95608
Hours: Please call for appointment.
Phone: 916-864-5779
AAA
6109 Sunrise Blvd
Citrus Heights, CA
916.560.0501
Call for an appointment
Current California Law:
Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds OR is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat. (California Vehicle Code Section 27360.)
Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.
Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt. (California Vehicle Code Section 27363.)
Passengers who are 16 years of age and over are subject to California's Mandatory Seat Belt law.
When can a child graduate to a booster seat?
California law does not address graduation time from a five point harness to a booster seat. In the interest of safety, do not rush to move a child into a booster seat before they’re ready. Each time you “graduate” your child to the next seat, there’s a reduction in the level of protection for your child. Keep your child in each stage for as long as possible.
A child is ready for a booster seat when they have outgrown the weight or height limit of their forward-facing harnesses, which is typically between 40 and 65 pounds. Read the forward-facing car seat’s owner’s manual to determine height and weight limits, and keep your child in a harnessed seat for as long as possible.
Children at this stage are not yet ready for adult safety belts and should use belt-positioning booster seats until they are at least 4’9″ and between 8 and 12 years old. Safety belts are designed for 165-pound male adults, so it’s no wonder that research shows poorly fitting adult belts can injure children.