If you are the parent of young children in the Twin Tiers, especially if you have a child in a rear-facing car seat while driving, here is a timely reminder from the Ziff Law Firm:

Starting Friday, Nov. 1, children 2 years old and under in New York State will be required to be in a rear-facing car seat. In the past, state law said all children had to remain in rear-facing seats until their first birthday.

It was a smart and overdue change by the state – the American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended that children stay in rear-facing seats until age 2 or older for the best crash protection. Often, children in rear-facing car seats are the safest passengers in the vehicle.

The new New York State law requires children to remain in a:

• Rear-facing car seat until at least age 2.
• Forward-facing harness until at least age 4.
• Booster seat until at least age 8.

Some other reminders to keep your child safe in a car are:

• Always have your child properly restrained.
• Keep children in the back seat until at least age 13.
• Avoid buying or using used car seats, since there is no way to know the history of the seat.
• Never rush your child to the next type of car seat, as they lose some protection every time they switch to the next type of seat.
• Do not put your child in a car seat while they are wearing a big winter coat; instead, let them wear a thin fleece and put the coat back on when getting out of the vehicle.

There are three types of rear-facing car seats: infant seats, convertible seats, and all-in-one seats. Children will outgrow their infant seat usually between six months to a year and a half, at which time parents will have to switch to a convertible or all-in-one car seat.

To get your safety seats professionally inspected, learn more here.

Thank you for reading,

Jim