New PA Law Has Parents Buckling Babies In Car Seats Facing Rear

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Pennsylvania's new car seat law takes effect next Friday, clearing up the vagaries of the previous one.

All children under two years old will be required to ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they've outgrown the height and weight limits for the seat.

Previously, the law only required children under four to ride in an approved car seat, either forward or rear-facing.

Dr. Flaura Koplin Winston is the co-scientific director of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Injury Research and Prevention...

"Children under two who are in crashes and are in forward-facing seats are one and a half times as likely to suffer injuries as children who are in rear-facing seats."

She says that's because the seat spreads the crash forces over the entire body, protecting the baby's neck and spine in the process.

Some parents are concerned that with a rear-facing seat they can't see their child in the rear-view mirror. But Winston advises if you're unsure about the well-being of your baby, pull over...

"I think the most important thing is that you want to prevent crashes. So you don't want to be distracted by looking at your child all the time anyway."

The law provides for $125 fines, but officers are giving only warnings for the first year.