Historically, the state of Oklahoma has had some of the weakest car seat and child passenger restraint laws in the nation. Even before the American Associationof Pediatrics (AAP) strengthened its recommendations for child car seat and booster seat usage, the state's laws fell far short of the recommendations.Now, a measure that would amend and strengthen car seat laws in Oklahoma has passed the House and Senate and moved on to the governor for hersignature. House Bill 1847 will take Oklahoma car seat laws from being among the worst in the nation to being among the best.
Oklahoma's current child restraint laws are vague and require a child restraint system only for children aged 5 and under, ignoring mention of bothrear-facing car seats for infants and toddlers, and of booster seats for older children. In fact, children aged 6 to 13 are only required to wear aseat belt in the back seat of a passenger vehicle.
The AAP, on the other hand, recommends the following:
The new law, which amends 47 O.S.� 11-1112, would change the law significantly by bringing legal child restraint requirements up to speed with AAP recommendations:
A. Every driver, when transporting a child under six (6) eight (8) years of age in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall provide forthe protection of said child by properly using a child passenger restraint system as follows:
1. A child under four (4) years of age shall be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system. The child passenger restraint system shall be rear-facing until the child reaches two (2) years of age or until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the rear-facing child passenger restraint system as allowed by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system, whichever occurs first; and
2. A child at least four (4) years of age but younger than eight (8) years of age, if not taller than 4 feet 9 inches in height, shall be properly secured in either a child passenger restraint system or child booster seat. For purposes of this section and Section 11-1113 of this title, "child passenger restraint system" means an infant or child passenger restraint system which meets the federal standards as set by 49 C.F.R., Section 571.213.
In other words, children must remain in a rear facing car seat until at least age 2 and in a 5-point-harness car seat until at least age 4. When a childturns 4, he or she may move to a belt-positioning booster seat, where he or she will ride until 8 years old or until 4'9 tall. Once the child is aged8 or 4'9, whichever comes first, a seat belt is sufficient to meet the requirements of Oklahoma child passenger restraint laws.
If Governor Mary Fallin signs the bill into law, the new car seat requirements will take effect November 1, 2015.
