Car Seat Safety & Education

Keeping Kids Safe in Vehicles

In Minnesota, three out of four child seats are used incorrectly, and many parents aren’t aware of the restraint steps a child should progress through as they age and grow. A vehicle is the most dangerous place for children— and crashes are the leading killer of children under age 14.

Is Your Child in the Right Restraint?
Learn the restraint steps a child should progress through.

Do You Know How to Properly Secure Your Child?
Learn about all types of child restraints and how to use them. View instructional child seat instructional videos.

Most Common Child Passenger Safety Mistakes

• Turning a child from a rear-facing restraint to a forward-facing restraint too soon - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends keeping children rear-facing until 2 years old if possible.
• Restraint is not secured tight enough - It should not shift more than one inch side-to-side or out from the seat.
• Harness on the child is not tight enough - If you can pinch harness material, it is too loose.
• Retainer clip is up too high or too low - Should be at the child’s armpit level.
• The child is in the wrong restraint - Do not rush your child into a seatbelt.

Give Kids a Boost! Booster Seats Are the Law in Minnesota

Booster seats lift a child up to help adult seatbelts fit children properly. Children must start riding in a booster upon outgrowing a forward-facing harness restraint. A child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches is required to be fastened in a child safety seat or booster seat that meets federal safety standards. Under this law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall—whichever comes first. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.