Did you know that Minnesota saw a 6% increase in traffic fatalities in 2018, and of the 381 people who died in traffic-related accidents that year, 96 were not wearing seat belts?
And there’s a connecton between a driver wearing a seat belt and child restraint use. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, when a driver uses seat belt they tend to use child restraint 90% of the time and the child restraint usage falls to 25% when the drivers themselves don’t use a child restraint.
So make sure to buckle up – yourself and your child!
Minnesota Car Seat Law
According to Minnesota law:
“Every motor vehicle operator, when transporting a child who is both under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches on the streets and highways of this state in a motor vehicle equipped with factory-installed seat belts, shall equip and install for use in the motor vehicle, according to the manufacturer's instructions, a child passenger restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.”
There is a fine of $50 for violating this law.
Minnesota Rear-facing Car Seat Law
According to Minnesota law, all children must be in a child restraint until they are 4’9” tall, or at least age 8, whichever comes first.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety says that newborn children up to 2 years of age should travel in the rear-facing car seat. It’s best to keep your child in the back seat for as long as possible.
Minnesota forward-facing Car Seat Law
Minnesota law doesn't specifically mention the forward-facing car seat. According to the Office of Traffic Safety, children can travel in the forward-facing car seat after they have outgrown their rear-facing car seats. A rear-facing seat is the safest place for toddlers. A forward-facing car seat can usually be used until the child is 4 years old, however, refer to car seat manufacturer's weight and height limit to see if you should keep using the forward-facing seat.
Minnesota Booster Car Seat Law
After outgrowing the forward-facing seat, use the booster seat until the child is 4’9” tall or 8 years old.
When Can My Child Sit in the Front Seat in Minnesota?
Minnesota doesn’t have any law for seating in the front seat. However, the Office of the Traffic Safety recommends that your child sits in the back seat until they are 13.
Leaving Child in Car Law in Minnesota
Minnesota has currently no laws regarding leaving children in a car.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, it is not illegal to smoke in a private vehicle.
Taxi Car Seat Law in Minnesota
Taxis are exempt from following Minnesota Child Restraint laws.
Minnesota Law Car Seat - Replacement After Accident
Minnesota Department of Public Safety says that you should never use a seat if it has been in an accident. The seat should be destroyed regardless of the condition. (Source)
Places to Get Car Seat Help in Minnesota
Good Car Seat Videos for Minnesotan Parents
How to secure your car seat by Safe Kids Worldwide
Is it time to move from a booster to a seat belt?
Child Passenger Safety - 5 Step Test
The Inch Test
Counterfeit Car Seats
General Safety Tips for Car Seats
Car seat check: An easy guide
Resources for More Info on Car Seat Safety in Minnesota
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”)
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