NJ Traffic Ticket Attorney

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has recently passed legislation that will update the old “vague and antiquated” child car seat laws in the state.  The updated law will go into effect in September, 2015.

Under New Jersey’s old law, every child under age 8 riding in a motor vehicle with seat belts must be in either a car seat or a booster seat. (School buses are exempt.)

The revised law adds additional regulations with specific age and weight limits. Among the new rules:

Birth to age 2: A child under age 2 and under 30 lbs. must be in a rear-facing car seat with a five-point harness. That means toddlers who are tall or have long legs must remain rear-facing even if their feet are pressed against the back seat of the car. Once a child reaches either age 2 or 30 lbs., the car seat can be turned around to face forward.

Ages 2 to 4: Children must remain in either a rear-facing or a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness in the back seat of a vehicle at least until they are 4 years old or 40 lbs. Then, they can move to a booster seat.

Ages 4 to 8: Children must remain in a booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle until they are at least 8 years old or 57 inches tall. Once they reach that age or height, they can use the regular adult seat belts.

Front seats: If a vehicle doesn’t have a back seat (like a pick-up truck or a sports car), a child can ride in the front seat in a car seat or a booster seat. But the vehicle’s passenger-side airbag must be disabled or shut off if a baby or toddler is using a rear-facing car seat strapped into the front seat of the vehicle. The force of air bags can injure small children if they deploy.

Full article and more information