According to a study in 2017, of the 79 children who died in a motor vehicle in Missouri that year, 55 were not restrained by a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Needless to say: seatbelts save lives!
Make sure you and your little ones are buckled in safely and using a good car seat. We’ve got some info in this article to help you do just that.
Missouri Car Seat Law
Section 307.179. of Missouri law is about transporting children under sixteen years of age and restraint systems:
“Every driver transporting a child under the age of sixteen years shall be responsible, when transporting such child in a motor vehicle operated by that driver on the streets or highways of this state, for providing for the protection of such child.”
A fine of $50 and the court fee is the punishment for not abiding by this law.
Missouri Rear-facing / Forward-facing Laws
Under the Missouri law, a child under the age of 4 must travel in a “child passenger restraint system”. Different car seats are made for children with different height and age. You can refer to the car seat manufacturer to figure out the best seat for your child. Usually, children under the age of 2 should use rear-facing car seats, and children under 4 should use forward-facing car seats.
Child Booster Seat Laws in Missouri
Missouri law makes it mandatory for children who are among the 4 to 7 age group, weigh less than 80 pounds, and shorter than 4 feet 9 inch to travel in child booster seats.
When Can My Child Sit in the Front Seat in Missouri?
Many states require you to use back seats for your children for as long as possible. In Missouri, the law is not clear about the usage of front seat and back seat. Although it is not required by law, you should always try to use the back seat as it is safer.
Leaving Child in Car Law in Missouri
Leaving a child in a vehicle is a crime in Missouri if the child injures another person. It will become a class C felony if the injury proves to be fatal.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in Missouri?
There are no laws in Missouri that would make smoking in the presence of child passenger a crime.
Taxi Car Seat Law in Missouri
Taxis are exempt from car seat laws in Missouri.
Missouri Law Car Seat - Replacement After Accident
Missouri has no laws regarding car seat replacement in case of an accident. It’s worth remembering that car seats are useful for a period of time after which seats are not safe to use. According to experts, this shelf life is 6 years and seats should be replaced after that period. Car seats should also be replaced in case of a moderate to a severe accident.
Places to Get Car Seat Help in Missouri
Here are some resources that can help you with the car seat inspection and provide you further help.
Good Car Seat Videos for Missourian Parents
SCCAD Child Safety Seat Program
Child Passenger Safety - 5 Step Test
Car seat check: An easy guide
General Safety Tips for Car Seats
Boost ‘em in the Back Seat and Avoid Regret
Installing a Car Seat Properly
Infant car seat installation
Rear-Facing Seat with a Seat Belt
Rear-Facing Convertible with Seat Belt
When a Child Can Move Out of a Booster Seat
Counterfeit Car Seats
Resources for More Info on Car Seat Safety in Missouri
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”)
Theresa Teegarden says
Is there a law in Missouri that says you are not to putta coat on the child while in a car seat.