Car Seat Laws in Kentucky: A Guide to Child Passenger Safety
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on June 30, 2022
Over 91,000 children under the age of 12 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2019. As a parent or guardian, your child’s safety is a top priority. That’s why it’s important to stay informed on strategies to ensure the safety of your child in the car. When used correctly, car seats and booster seats can reduce the risk of injury significantly in the event of a wreck. To keep people informed, the state of Kentucky has several laws on car and booster seat usage for children according to certain age and height cutoffs. These laws can be a bit confusing, as there are several types of car seats, and different children require different seats depending on their age and height. That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide of car seat laws in Kentucky.
The basic goal of all car and booster seats is to elevate child passengers in order to protect them in the event of a collision. Because of their small stature, cars can be dangerous places for children. Without a car or booster seat, even safety devices like seatbelts and airbags can become extremely dangerous and even deadly to child passengers. As children age and grow, they’ll require different types of seats to account for changes in height and weight. For detailed information, check out this CDC publication for some facts and stats on child passenger safety.
Rear Facing Seats
Rear facing car seats offer the best protection for infants. By cradling the child’s head and neck, a rear facing seat is able to absorb impact and keep child passengers stationary. In Kentucky, children must remain in a rear facing car seat until they are over a year old and at or above 20 pounds. However, it is safest to continue using a rear facing seat until your child is nearing the height and weight limits of your particular seat to ensure the best results.
Forward-Facing Seats
After children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they are ready for a forward-facing car seat. This is where they will stay until they are over 40 inches in height at least. As always, it is best to allow your child to approach the height and weight limits of their specific seat before moving on to a new one. These forward-facing seats reposition restraints in order to secure child passengers without the hazards of poorly fitted seat belts.
Booster Seats
Booster seats are the final legally required seat for child passengers. These seats slightly elevate children in order to properly position the car’s seat belt. Once they have outgrown their forward-facing car seats, Kentucky law requires children to use a booster seat until they are over 8 years old or taller than 57 inches. If a child is younger than 8 but over 57 inches tall, then they do not legally require a booster seat. Likewise, if a child is under 57 inches tall, but older than 8 years old, then they do not need a booster. The best practice however is to keep your child in a booster until the car’s normal seat belts fit properly.
After Boosters
Just because your child is out of their booster seat does not mean that they no longer require special safety considerations. For example, It is best to keep your child in the back seat until they are at least 12 years old. Passengers and drivers should keep their seatbelts on at all times in the vehicle, which is a rule especially important for younger passengers.
Even when taking all the correct precautions, wrecks and injuries still occur. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car wreck, then legal action may be a necessity in order to recover compensation for medical bills and other expenses. If this is the case, then a good attorney is a must. Quality legal representation can make all the difference in ensuring you get what you deserve in the wake of an accident. For more information on driving safety, check out our article on defensive driving.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car wreck in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of car accident victims. Schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling 502-459-7555 today.