boosters in CA

[amw]

What is the CA law regarding booster seats? Here in Ontario, children have to be in boosters until 8 years of age, regardless of height or weight. My DD will be seven on our next trip. Do I need to drag her booster seat to CA as well?

 

[iceskatejen]

It's 6 years or 60 pounds.

 

[joanne1968]

I will have to weigh my dd and check up on her

 

[joanne1968]

Just weighed her, only 43 pounds will have to take her seat as well.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

If you are not renting a car, you may not need to bring the carseat. We are taking a 7-person shuttle van to and from the airport. I asked if I needed to bring carseats for the kids (we didn't want to drag 2 carseats, 2 strollers, PLUS all our bags) and was told no for the shuttle. (I'm COUNTING on this, so if somebody knows differently, please let me know!!!)

Kids are 5 and nearly 2, and I was told the younger would be considered a 'lap child', much like the airline policy, I guess.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I just looked up the law online and it does not give a provision if you are riding in a shuttle van. I work at a traffic court and often people have misconceptions about the car seat laws in AZ.
Here is a paragraph from the California statute:

a) A parent or legal guardian, when present in a motor
vehicle, as defined in Section 27315, may not permit his or her child
or ward to be transported upon a highway in the motor vehicle
without properly securing the child or ward in a rear seat in a child
passenger restraint system meeting applicable federal motor vehicle
safety standards, unless the child or ward is one of the following:
(1) Six years of age or older.
(2) Sixty pounds or more.
(b) (1) A driver may not transport on a highway a child in a motor
vehicle, as defined in Section 27315, without properly securing the
child in a rear seat in a child passenger restraint system meeting
applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards, unless the child
is one of the following:
(A) Six years of age or older.
(B) Sixty pounds or more.
(2) This subdivision does not apply to a driver if the parent or
legal guardian of the child is also present in the vehicle and is not
the driver.

 

[1shellybell]

When I took an airport shuttle several years ago I didn't need to bring my daughter's car seat because the shuttle had built in child restraints. Maybe that is the case?

 

[DESERTREDHEAD]

your child must be 6 years old AND 60 lbs, not one or the other. Shuttles and buses do not require the booster seats. HTH!

 

[amw]

your child must be 6 years old AND 60 lbs, not one or the other. Shuttles and buses do not require the booster seats. HTH!

Can someone confirm? From the previous post, I thought it was clear that it was EITHER 6 or 60 lbs. My DD6 is 43 lbs. I don't know many 6 year-olds that are 60 lbs!

 

[CindyH]

"Buckle your child in a safety seat every trip, no matter how short. Remember: All children under the age of 16 must ride properly buckled up.

New law beginning January 1, 2005

It says…

Children MUST be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (safety seat or booster seat) IN THE BACK SEAT OF A VEHICLE until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds."

By the way, my 6 year old son is over 60 pounds, so legally we don't need the booster. But we are planning to keep him in his booster seat for at least another 2-3 years, because it's safer. Please keep your kids safe!

 

[hlbtimes2]

We have used super shuttle twice. We have always used our kids car seats in them. I wouldnt think of traveling in a car or van with out them. Super shuttle is just a van with 3-4 rows of seats. Bring your car seat! Better to error on the saftey side then risk it.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I should have known - It didn't sound right, knowing that CA law is supposedly more strict than Washington's. I just didn't see how we were going to possibly get through the airport with all our stuff and two full carseats! (We opted to use a full, larger carseat rather than a booster for DS5 for safety reasons. I know, I'm not being consistent, am I?)

OK, so how DO you get it all through the airports? Good grief...!

 

[DESERTREDHEAD]

your child must be 6 years old AND 60 lbs, not one or the other. Shuttles and buses do not require the booster seats. HTH!

I was remembering the old law I guess. It is 6 years OR 60lbs. Sorry to make it confusing!

 

[hlbtimes2]

OK, so how DO you get it all through the airports? Good grief...!

You can either purchase a car seat cover (I got one on clearance at Fred Meyer for around $6- has a shoulder strap) or let the straps all the way out in the car seat, and wear it like a back pack. I know, sounds funny, but it works. Or rent the "smarte carte" for a couple bucks and load it up. We actually check our car seats with our lugage, so we only have to get it to the counter, not the gate. The at the other end you dont have to go far from bagage claim to the shuttle area.

edit to add: be sure you take the locking ("I" shaped ) clip with you if you are using super shuttle. The seat belts are the older type that dont stay tight with out a clip on them.

 

[eargal]

Great thread! I hadn't thought about this issue yet. My DS is 4.5 years but HUGE (68lbs, 49 inches). It seems that he won't need a booster by law but, is there any reason that a big 4 year old should have one anyway? I mean, is there a reason like less developed neck and back muscles that might be a factor?

 

[CindyH]

Great thread! I hadn't thought about this issue yet. My DS is 4.5 years but HUGE (68lbs, 49 inches). It seems that he won't need a booster by law but, is there any reason that a big 4 year old should have one anyway? I mean, is there a reason like less developed neck and back muscles that might be a factor?

Even short adults should use a booster (and I count myself among those, since I'm only 5'1") but I can't imagine California ever passing a law requiring car seats for adults.

Seat belts on kids (not using boosters) cut across their necks and heads, not the body parts you want to restrain in an accident - the torso is better suited. I know even for me, the seat belt goes up against my neck if I don't adjust it.

Sorry for the soap box.

 

[eargal]

I appreciate your "soap box" input. We'll bring the booster.

 

[jakoky]

hi there, in canada, not only do kids have to be a certain weight, but it can also goes by height.... this is the rule here: Booster seats are required for children under the age of eight, weighing
more than 18 kg but less than 36 kg (40-80 lbs) and who stand less than 145 cm
(4 feet 9 inches) tall

A child can start using a seatbelt alone once any one of the following
criteria is met:

- child turns eight years old
- child weighs 36 kg (80 lbs)
- child is 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall.
My daughter had a friend on her soccer team whose family was in a major car accident. I believe dawn was 9...The seat belt didnt fit her right, so she put the shoulder portion behind her back, so using only the lap portion. After being transported to the hospital, they were told dawn had a broken back and a severed aorta. The surgeons at the hospital had never operated on a child with a severed aorta, damage done by the seat belt that didnt fit her properly, but she survived. I believe the broken back came from no restraint across her shoulder. Her older brother(big enough for a seat belt) also broke his back in the same place and his arm. Just as the accident happened he leaned to the ground to get something, the shoulder restraint slid to his arm, which broke it on collision. Both these kids are doing very well today and docs told them 9 out of 10 kids with the break in the back in the same place as theirs was never walk again, so they are miracles. Dawn is now almost 15 and has pins in her back and can never ski or do anything like that BUT plays soccer and does track and field and u would never know. Her brother can do anything he wants now...very scary stuff, but really put home to me how important it is to buckle up right. My youngest daughter is tiny, she is 10 1/2 and only about 68 lbs, but is just tall enough for a seat belt, thank goodness, because i dont know how i would get her into a booster at her age but for all those with smaller kids, i wanted to tell you about this story....have fun and be safe

72 days til we leave for DL!!!
6th time for me and 1st for my DH and DD(almost 15), DS 12, and DD 10
WDW-Dec 2004

 

[mAlien13]

I should have known - It didn't sound right, knowing that CA law is supposedly more strict than Washington's. I just didn't see how we were going to possibly get through the airport with all our stuff and two full carseats! (We opted to use a full, larger carseat rather than a booster for DS5 for safety reasons. I know, I'm not being consistent, am I?)

OK, so how DO you get it all through the airports? Good grief...!

As far as I know and unless it was overturned, Washington State just raised the limits to 8 yrs old or 80 lbs.

Head up parents...the Pediatric Association is making a big push to get states to require booster restraints until 10 yrs or 100 lbs. This is when the average perportions will allow a person to be properly restrained by car seat belts.

My mother worked in Peds ICU for years. My son who is about to turn nine still sits in a booster, no questions. He only weighs 62 lbs and I hate to think of what would happen to his little body in an accident. When the top of the car seat meets with the base of the skull is actually when a child needs to be sitting in a regular seat according to most car seat safety warnings.

 

[ptlycloudy]

What are thoughts on a backless booster for travel? I was thinking of using one when we travel. We won't be doing much driving just to hotel and maybe the grocery store. My DD is 5 and I thought it would be a good solution for limited use, now I don't know. Any info?