Starting next month, all children up to age 5 must ride in a car seat; currently that’s only required for children up to age 4.
Also, all children under the age of 2 must use a rear-facing child seat, a requirement that currently only applies to children under 1.
Children under age 8 or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches must use a booster seat, and children who outgrow the booster must sit in the back seat until they are 13 years old.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cites car crashes as a leading cause of death for children under age 13.
Its website offers tips on finding the right car seat and how to property install it as nearly half are installed or used improperly.
Many fire departments also offer inspections to ensure car seats are installed correctly.
Michigan’s updated car seat laws go into effect April 2nd.
