age of kids in the front seat of a car
Better get used to it, in Massachusetts at least, where new legislation may make riding in the front under the age of 13 illegal. Like the driver in “The Wheels on the Bus” song croons, kids in Massachusetts may have to “move on back” when riding in the car. A - Use the seat belt fit test on all children under 13 years of age to be sure they are big enough to safely use the adult seat belt without a booster seat. Have the child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat. naturally at the seat edge. If they do, continue the test. A child under the age of 4 years and 40 pounds shall be secured as described in (a) until they reach the upper limits of the rear-facing seat, then in a forward-facing child restraint equipped with a 5-point harness. After age 4 and 40+ pounds and behavior maturity*, children can ride in a booster seat with the adult lap and shoulder belt until the adult safety belt will fit them properly (usually when the child is 10  12 years old). MUST have a lap/shoulder belt to use a booster seat. A - Use the seat belt fit test on all children under 13 years of age to be sure they are big enough to safely use the adult seat belt without a booster seat. Have the child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat. Check to see if the knees bend. naturally at the seat edge. A child under the age of 8 and a height of 57 inches shall be secured as described in (a) or (b) until they reach the upper limits of the rear-facing or forwardfacing seat, then in a belt positioning booster seat. Related: The Little Thing You Can Do With a Car Seat to Save a Child’s Life. And in a Transportation Committee hearing on Wednesday, proponents lined up, urging legislators to move forward with the mandate, which would impose a $25 fine for drivers violating the law. “It might not always be possible for children under the age of 13 to ride in the back seat,” Audette acknowledged in testimony at the Transportation Committee’s July 15 hearing. Exhibit A: when a parent is driving around half of the under-12 soccer team or is piloting a pickup truck that doesn’t even have a back seat. Older kids totally annoyed at having to ride in the back seat? Better get used to it, in Massachusetts at least, where new legislation may make riding in the front under the age of 13 illegal. (Photo: Anna Peisl/Corbis) Like the driver in “The Wheels on the Bus” song croons, kids in Massachusetts may have to “move on back” when riding in the car. When children outgrow the rear-facing safety seat (minimum 2+ years), they should ride in a forward-facing safety seat as long as possible, up to the upper height or weight limit (40  80+ pounds) of the harnesses. Usually 4+ years old. Properly installed forward-facing in the back seat.
Age of 13.