But what about child car seat laws in Missouri and Kansas? Are you buckling up your child properly? To ensure your kids are safe in their infant, convertible, or booster seats, review the states’ most recent child passenger safety and restraint laws by age, weight, and height.
Child Car Seat Laws in Kansas
As of 2019, Kansas’s Child Passenger Safety Law 8-1344 states:
- Children under the age of 4, regardless of weight or height, must be fastened in an approved child restraint system, such as an infant car seat or convertible car seat;
- Children between the ages 4 and 8, who weigh less than 80 pounds and are under 4’ 9”, must be restrained in an approved convertible car seat or booster seat;
- Children between the ages of 8 and 14, who weigh more than 80 pounds and are taller than 4’ 9”, must be in the back seat with a standard vehicle seatbelt.
Child Car Seat Laws in Missouri
As of 2019, Missouri’s 307.179 statute states:
- Children under the age of 4, regardless of weight or height, must be restrained in a federally approved child restraint system, such as an infant seat or convertible car seat;
- Children between the ages of 4 and 8, who are under 4’ 9” and weigh between 40 and 80 pounds, must be fastened in a convertible seat or booster seat;
- Children between the ages of 4 and 16, who weigh over 80 pounds or are taller than 4’ 9”, can be secured in the back seat with a vehicle seatbelt.
Rear-Facing vs. Forward-Facing vs. Booster Seats
Based on these state laws, what type of car seat is best for your child? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends the following guidelines:
- Infant to 3 Years – Keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible. Rear-facing infant and convertible seats offer the most protection for babies and toddlers. Only move your child into a forward-facing car seat when they’ve reached the height and weight limit of their current infant seat.
- 1 to 7 Years – A front-facing child restraint system with a harness and tether is ideal for toddlers who weigh more than 40 pounds and are under 4’ 9”. These typically include convertible seats and all-in-one seats.
- 4 to 12 Years –If your vehicle’s lap belt lies flat on your child’s lap and the shoulder belt lies flat on the chest, they’re ready to transition to a booster seat. Booster seats are much more convenient for parents, but they offer less protection than a forward- or rear-facing car seat, so only transition them when they’ve outgrown their front-facing seat.
Find a Free Child Car Seat Inspection Station in Kansas City
I can’t stress this enough: the best way to safeguard your kiddos is to install their car seats properly. Even with the most advanced vehicle safety features, car collisions are the leading cause of death for children, and many of those fatalities are due to improperly installed car seats (or no car seats at all, sadly).
Yes, getting your car ready for a baby and installing a car seat for the first time can be frustrating; most new parents would rather have a root canal than go through that ordeal again. That’s why there are numerous car seat inspection sites around the country, including up to 50 right in Kansas City. Enter your location here to find a certified car seat inspector near you. This service is 100% free, which is nice considering how much money you’ll spend on diapers.
https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/2017/title-xix/chapter-307/section-307.179/
https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats
