Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers | August 20, 2024 | Florida Law
Whether driving to the grocery store or out of state, nothing should be more important than a child passenger’s safety. That means ensuring they’re properly restrained in an appropriate seating area of the vehicle, which is the back seat for their pre-teen years.
When can a child sit in the front seat in Florida? Most U.S. states don’t have laws mandating at what age a child can sit in the front seat. Instead, many use and promote recommendations developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which designates the appropriate age as 13 years old.
Does Florida Have a Front Seat Law?
Florida is among those states without a law that sets a minimum age for sitting in the front seat. Rather than using the NHTSA’s recommendations, the Sunshine State has adopted the guidelines provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Like the NHTSA, the AAP recommends that all children 12 years and younger should be restrained in the rear seats.
Sitting in the front seat exposes children to additional risks. Airbag deployment, for instance, may pose a danger to kids. Also, in a frontal collision, the driver and front seat passenger will sustain much of the impact.
While where a child sits in a car is important, making sure they are properly restrained is critical to protecting them from injuries in a car accident. For Florida drivers, state law and federal standards define what’s required to properly restrain a child in a motor vehicle.
Florida’s Child Restraint Law
Florida law requires all children under the age of five, regardless of seating position, to be properly restrained in the vehicle. Up until age three, parents must secure their children in a separate carrier or integrated child seat built into the vehicle.
Between ages four and five, a separate carrier, integrated child seat, or booster seat with a seat belt may be used, depending on the child’s height and weight.
Parents must purchase child safety seats that meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and make certain they use the device as instructed by the manufacturer and in the vehicle owner’s manual.
Florida law states that when a child is large enough to fit in a seat and be properly restrained with a seat belt, the booster is no longer needed. For a properly fitted seat belt, the lap belt should rest snugly over the upper thighs (not at the stomach), and the shoulder belt should extend snugly across the shoulder (not the chest, neck, or face).
Vehicle Crashes and Unrestrained Children
Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury and death for children ages 1 to 14. In 2021, approximately 162,298 children 14 years and younger were injured in traffic crashes; another 863 were killed. Of those who lost their lives and restraint use was known, 308, or 40%, were not restrained.
Out of all the child age groups,13 to 14-year-olds represented the highest percentage of unrestrained passengers involved in fatal accidents (26%) and killed (59%).
Child safety seats can reduce fatal injury by more than 70% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. When used properly, lap and shoulder seat belts can lower the risk of fatality to front-seat occupants five and older of passenger cars by 45% and moderate-to-critical injury by 50%.
Restraint Laws Serve a Life-Saving Purpose
Florida may not have a law dictating what age a child can sit in the front seat, but parents who want to protect their children from harm should follow the AAP guidelines, which recommend 13 as the ideal age. However, properly restraining a child is governed by state law and federal regulations. Combined, they serve a life-saving purpose.
Contact KW Stuart Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers For Help Today
For more information, please contact the Stuart motorcycle accident law firm of KW Stuart Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We proudly serve Martin County and its surrounding areas in Florida:
Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Stuart
73 SW Flagler Ave
Stuart, FL 34994
(772) 444-7000
Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Port St. Lucie
1100 SW St. Lucie West Blvd. Ste 202
Port St Lucie, FL 34986
(772) 247-3374
Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Palm Beach Gardens
300 Avenue of the Champions Ste 220
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
(561) 944-4000