Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children, due in large part to the nonuse or improper use of child safety seats and seat belts. The Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office seeks to ensure every child is properly secured and safe every trip, every time.
Child safety seats and booster seats save lives. They offer the absolute best protection for children in the event of a crash. Child seats reduce the likelihood of an infant (under 1 year of age) being killed in a vehicle crash by 71 percent and the risk of a toddler (1-4 years of age) being killed by 54 percent. Children ages 4-7 who use booster seats are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children who are restrained only by seat belts.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws requiring children to be restrained in vehicles. In Kansas, the law is as follows:
Child Passenger Safety Act (KSA 8-1343) • All children under age 4 must be in a federally-approved child safety seat.
• Children ages 4-7 must be in a federally-approved child safety seat/booster seat unless the
child weighs more than 80 lbs or is taller than 4’9”.
• Children ages 8 years of age but under the age of 14 must be protected by a safety belt.
• This law applies to all passenger cars designed for carrying fewer than 10 passengers, as
defined by KSA 8-1343a. The fine is $60 plus court costs.
• Persons under age 14 are prohibited from riding in any portion of the vehicle not intended for
passengers; this includes riding in the back of pickup trucks. The fine for this violation is $60
plus court costs.
Kansas is also a primary enforcement state with concern to passenger vehicle occupants ages 14-17. KSA 8-2501 states:
Occupants of a passenger car 14 years of age but younger than 18 years of age can be cited for a seat belt violation (KSA-8-2503). The fine is $60, including court costs.
Three out of four child safety seats are installed improperly, according to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. KTSRO recommends parents and caregivers use the “Four Steps for Kids” method when determining which child safety seat is right for child passengers and how to install the child safety seat.
• Infants (birth-1 year and up to 20 pounds) should ride in a rear-facing child safety seat
• Toddlers (age 1-4) should ride in a convertible (rear/forward facing) or forward-facing seat
• Children ages 4-8 should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat
• Children ages 8+ (who weigh 80 lbs or are taller than 4’9”) should always be restrained
by a safety belt
NHTSA recommends that child safety seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.
NHTSA recommends that child safety seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash. Minor crashes are those that meet ALL of the following criteria:
The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;
There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
There is no visible damage to the safety seat
Clarifying the need for child seat replacement will reduce then number of children unnecessarily riding without a child safety seat while a replacement seat is being acquired, and the number of children who will have to ride without a child seat if a seat were discarded and not replaced. The clarification will also reduce the financial burden of unnecessary replacement.
Find a car seat inspection station in your area:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains a database of all child safety seat inspection stations in the nation. Visit the Web site to find one in your area:
You may also contact KTSRO at 800-416-2522 for more information on child safety seat inspection stations in Kansas.
Many parents unaware of laws regarding booster seat use
A new study by the University of Michigan shows that many parents are not using booster seats and are unaware of the laws regarding having their children in booster seats.
To find out more on this, please visit the one page summary of the study here.
Tips for correct installation and safe travel:
• Always read and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for your child’s safety seat
• Harness fit: Tighten so only one finger fits under harness at collar bone
• Retainer clip: Adjust to be level with armpits
• Make sure the safety seat is secured correctly and tightly to the vehicle’s seat (seat should not move more than 1 inch side-to-side at the seat’s belt path)
• Never place a rear-facing infant seat in an airbag-equipped seating position
• If a forward-facing child safety seat is placed in an airbag-equipped seating position, slide the vehicle seat as far back as possible
• Only use booster seats in vehicle seating positions equipped with both a lap and shoulder belt
• All children 12 and under should ride in the back seat of the vehicle
