Child seat safety laws in Michigan

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in Michigan for both adults and children. Adults are required by law to wear seat belts and to ensure that children traveling in their vehicles are properly buckled in. These laws save lives, and it makes sense to follow them.

Summary of Michigan Child Seat Safety Laws

Michigan has age laws regarding vehicle restrictions. They can be summarized as follows.

Children under four

Any child under the age of four must be placed in a child seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Until the child is one year old and weighs at least 20 pounds, they must sit in a rear-facing child seat.

Children 30-35 pounds

Children weighing between 30 and 35 pounds can ride in a convertible child seat provided it is rear facing.

Children four and eight years old

Any child aged 4 to 8 or less than 57 inches must be secured in a child restraint. It can be forward facing or backward facing.

• It is recommended, although not legal, that a child be secured with a 5-point harness until he or she weighs at least 40 pounds.

8-16 years old

Any child between the ages of 8 and 16 is not required to use a child seat, but must still use the seat belts in the car.

Children 13 and under

Although not required by law, it is still recommended that children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat of a vehicle.

Fines

If you violate child seat safety laws in the state of Michigan, you can be fined $10 for violations involving children under the age of 4 and $25 for children under the age of 8 who are less than 57 inches tall.

Child seat safety laws are in place to protect your children, so follow them.