Federal Government Proposes New Child Car Seat Recommendations

BOSTON (CBS) – There are new recommendations about child car seats.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing all children who weigh less than 26-and-a-half pounds sit in a rear-facing seat. That would include nearly every child younger than one year old.

The current guideline is 20 pounds.

The agency also wants three-and-four-year olds to sit in car seats instead of booster seats.

In Massachusetts, AAA looked at 2019 crash data from MassDOT and found more than half of six-to-seven year olds wore only seat belts and, in some cases, had no restraint at all.

Massachusetts law requires children to ride in a car seat or booster seat until age 8 or until they are taller than 57 inches.