Did you know that car crashes are the biggest cause of death for children under the age of 13?
According to the CDC, car seats can reduce the risk of injuries in crashes by 71% and in 2017 car seats saved the lives of 325 children.
Make sure to follow state law, for the safety of your child!
Michigan Car Seat Law
Section 257.710d of Michigan Vehicle Code says:
“A driver transporting a child as required under subsection (1) shall position the child in the child restraint system in a rear seat if the vehicle is equipped with a rear seat.”
Michigan Rear-facing Car Seat Law
According to Michigan law, a “child less than 4 years of age” must be properly secured in a “child restraint system” ( that meets federal safety requirements. (MCL 257.710d(1)). To translate this law, a child should travel in a rear-facing seat until he/she is in the height and weight limit of the seat.
Michigan Forward-facing Car Seat Law
Michigan law says that a child will travel in an appropriate system until 4 years of age. After exceeding the limit of a rear-facing seat, this appropriate system will be a forward facing seat. However, don’t rush to graduate the child to the forward-facing. Rear-facing is the safer option and keep the child there for as long as possible.
Child Booster Seat Laws in Michigan
Children who are between 4 to 8 years of age and less than 4’9” tall, must travel in a booster seat. According to law, they must be in a “child restraint system”, which essentially translates to booster seats.
When Can My Child Sit in the Front Seat in Michigan?
Children younger than age 4 will ride in a car seat in the rear seat if the vehicle has a rear seat. If all available rear seats are occupied by children under 4, then a child under 4 may ride in a car seat in the front seat. A child in a rear-facing car seat may only ride in the front seat if the airbag is turned off.
Leaving Child in Car Law in Michigan
750.135a says that a child under that age of 6 can’t be left alone in a car, in a manner that will put his/her life in danger. You can read more about it here.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in Michigan?
There are currently no laws in Michigan that would make smoking in cars with child passengers a crime.
Taxi Car Seat Law in Michigan
Part 3 of Section 257.710d of Michigan Vehicle Code makes it clear that these laws do not apply to taxi drivers.
Michigan Law Car Seat - Replacement After Accident
Michigan law doesn’t provide any guidance regarding car seat replacement in case of an accident. But a general rule is always to replace your car seat after a major accident as they can get invisible cracks in their plastic bodies and aren’t safe for further use.
Places to Get Car Seat Help in Michigan
Good Car Seat Videos for Michigander Parents
Safe Rides
Child Passenger Safety - Booster Seats
Child Passenger Safety - Harness Fit
Tween Belt Safety
Child Passenger Safety - 5 Step Test
An easy guide to safe car seat installation and use
When a Child Can Move Out of a Booster Seat
Counterfeit Car Seats
Infant car seat installation
Resources for More Info on Michigan Car Seat Safety
Growing up I was a carefree male going about life like there was no tomorrow. Naturally, I ‘grew’ up, settled down and started a family.
Going from an independent carefree male to a family man was somewhat of a U-turn and required a lot of learning. Luckily for me, my wife works in education and has always been the shining light always ahead of me on all factors kids related.
Initially, my wife didn’t have a driving license (luckily this has now changed and it does make life easier), and all things car related were my task. Child locks were the obvious starting point which lead me down a rabbit hole.
So far we have personally tested dozens of convertible car seats and have owned five despite neither of our kids having reached the age of 5! Simply put, a car seat can be great on paper, work great on trying out but can fail on you in real life.
This is why I have put together this website – to help inform and educate you!
Of course, as I mentioned above, at the end of the day your experience will be the best test so I’d love to hear your experiences and feedback in the comments.
To contact me personally, please do so through my contact page.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Peter
P.S. If you click a link on my site and end up buying a car seat on Amazon, I’ll get paid a small commission (or as the Amazon lawyers put it: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases”)
Arianna Angel says
Good evening my name is Shearee and I am trying to find out how do I go a about getting a free toddler car seat for a family member that can not afford to buy one at this moment.