Child Passenger Safety Week: Make Sure Your Child’s Car Seat Fits and Is Installed Correctly
During Child Passenger Safety Week (September 20–26), the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Caltrans are encouraging parents and caregivers to check that their children’s car seats are installed and used correctly.
Helen Arbogast, DrPH, MPH, director of Safe Kids California and the Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), emphasized that protecting a child in a vehicle begins before the engine starts, with a car seat that fits the child’s age and size.
A car seat may offer less protection if the harness is too loose or the seat is not installed tightly enough. Families should also avoid moving a child from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat, or from a harnessed seat to a booster seat, too early.
Children should ride rear-facing until at least age 2. They should then use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the seat’s height or weight limit. A booster seat is needed until the vehicle seat belt fits properly. Children 13 and younger should ride in the back seat whenever possible.
Beginning January 1, 2027, California children ages 8 to 16 must pass the 5-Step Test before using a vehicle seat belt without a booster.
Families can find car seat guidance on the California Department of Public Health website. Those who want help checking an installation can find a certified child passenger safety technician nearby.
