August 1 crackdown will force drivers to take special precautions for their passengers – violators face instant $50 fine

A US state has passed a new law that will go into effect this week and will enforce rules regarding child safety protocols when they are in a vehicle.

Even outside of a car seat, children within certain height and weight parameters are protected by the new law.

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Minnesota passed a state law that aims to keep children safer while riding in a car, from a rear-facing car seat to when they’ve just gotten out of a booster seat.

All car seats sold in the U.S. have specific instructions on how to install them in a car and how to properly restrain a child, but the state’s new law goes beyond that by imposing restrictions.

Restrictions will be heavily enforced, cops warn, with a crackdown that will result in an immediate $50 fine for parents who don’t follow the new law.

Restrictions range from when a child can face forward in a car seat to where a child under 13 must sit when traveling as a passenger.

Alison Sheao, a child passenger safety instructor, said many children are injured in car accidents despite being in or around the car due to parents’ lack of knowledge.

“We are finding that many caregivers are taking their children out of the booster seat prematurely because they feel their child is big enough to only use the lap belt and shoulder belt,” she told the FOX affiliate. KQDS-TV.

“But we are finding that children removed prematurely are prone to impact injuries.”

New changes as part of the bill include:

• All children under two years of age must be in a rear-facing or convertible child safety seat
• Children under two years of age who cannot fit into either of the first two options must sit in car seats with internal harnesses
• Children over four years of age who no longer fit in seats with an internal harness should use a booster seat with belt positioning
• Riders over the age of nine can get out of their seats if they pass the state’s new five-step tool

The five stages involve several factors to test a child’s readiness to ride without a designated child seat.

The five steps include:

• The ability to sit with your back completely supported in the rear seat of the vehicle
• Your ability to stay awake during a car ride
• The ability to keep your knees at a 90-degree angle in the back seat
• The ability to keep the seat belt across the hips
• The ability to keep the crossbody belt across the chest

Sheao reinforced the importance of a baby or young child staying rear-facing as much as possible.

She explained how a child is better protected in the event of an accident – especially when it comes to a child’s head and neck.

“When a car seat is rear-facing, the seat frame will take the impact,” she said.

Inside the 5-Step Tool

Children must meet these five specifications before parents can remove the safety seat:

• The child sits completely backwards, with their shoulders and hips touching the back of the seat
• The child’s knees should bend over the edge of the seat
• The seat belt must cross the child’s hips and not the thighs
• The seat belt must cross the child’s chest and not the neck
• The child must sit correctly, without slouching or dozing off during the ride

Children under the age of nine must sit in a car seat until they meet these requirements.

Per Minnesota Safety Council.

“If you’ve been in an accident, if the child is facing forward, the impact will go through the harness and the child will go forward.”

If any parent is unsure, a local fire department can assess the integrity of the car seat and ensure it is installed correctly.

In Duluth, Minnesota, parents can swap out their old seats for newer, safer ones, the outlet reported.

If low-income parents cannot afford a durable car seat, some programs are available to help these families obtain a car seat.