What are Wisconsins car seat laws?

Question

I want to know if my child is ready for a booster seat.

Answer 1

Legally, the laws lag in lots of states.  Safety wise your child shouldn't be in a belt positioning booster until at LEAST 4 years of age and 40 pounds.  We bought an Apex seat so that we could keep our daughter in a 5 point harness because it's so much safer.  The Apex has a 5 point that goes up to 65 pounds.  My daughter is 5 1/2 and still rides comfortably in it.

Here's a link to Wisconsin's laws which are pretty vague: http://www.inventiveparent.com/lawsreg5....

Answer 2

Most car seat laws are about the same in all states, but check with your DMV if you aren't sure, my daughter started using a booster when she was 23lbs and too big for a regular car seat.

Answer 3

I will post the laws in a sec, but the law will not tell you whether your child is READY for a booster. Readiness is affected by several things, none of which have much to do with laws: age, weight, height, maturity.

The bare minimum for safe booster use is 4 years AND 40lbs. However, most 4 year olds are not yet ready to sit properly in a booster seat - sitting up straight, with their back to the seat, shoulder belt across shoulder, lap belt across legs. The shoulder belt can not go across the neck, and the lap belt can not go across the abdomen.  Each stage you move through in car seats is a demotion in safety. It shouldn't be something that we look forward to - but something you do when you have to b/c the child has outgrown the previous stage. A child should remain in a 5 point harness as long as possible, its safer.

OK - now as for the law, Wisconsin doesn't want us to understand their law. I've looked up car seat laws for lots of states, and this was the hardest to understand yet. Basically, I think legally a child has to be in some type of age appropriate restraint until age 8. It doesn't seem to have a specific law regarding when you can use a booster.

"No person may transport a child under the age of 4 in a motor vehicle unless the child is properly restrained in a child safety restraint system approved by the department. In this subdivision, “properly restrained” means fastened in a manner prescribed by the manufacturer of the system which permits the system to act as a body restraint but does not include a system in which the only body restraint is a safety belt of the type required under sub.

(1). The department shall, by rule, establish standards in compliance with applicable federal standards for approved types of child safety restraint systems for those child restraint systems purchased after November 1, 1982.

2. No person may transport a child who is at least 4 years old

but less than 8 years old in a motor vehicle unless the child is properly restrained in a child safety restraint system approved by the department under subd. 1. or in a safety belt approved by the department under sub. (2). In this subdivision, “properly restrained” means fastened in a manner prescribed by the manufacturer of the system which permits the system to act as a body restraint."

Answer 4

CHILD CAR SEAT RULES

1. BEFORE YOUR FIRST BIRTHDAY LESS THAN 20 POUNDS REAR-FACING INFANT-ONLY CAR SEAT OR CONVERTIBLE SEAT USED IN REAR-FACING POSITION, SECURED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

2. 20–35 POUNDS CONVERTIBLE SEAT USED IN REAR-FACING POSITION, SECURED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. LOOK FOR A CHILD SAFETY SEAT THAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR HEAVIER INFANTS.

3. WHEN YOU ARE 1, 2, 3, AND 4 20–40 POUNDS FACE FORWARD IN A CONVERTIBLE SEAT OR A FORWARD-FACING-ONLY SEAT OR HIGH-BACK BOOSTER/HARNESS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

4. WHEN YOU ARE 4, 5, 6, 7, OR 8 LESS THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT (NO BACK) OR HIGH-BACK BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

5. WHEN YOU ARE 8, 9, 10, 11, OR 12 MORE THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL MAY USE AN ADULT SEATBELT, BUT MUST KEEP YOUR BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BACK, YOUR KNEES BENT OVER THE EDGE OF THE SEAT, AND YOUR FEET FLAT ON THE FLOOR IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR.

6. WHEN YOU ARE MORE THAN 12 YEARS OLD MORE THAN 4’9” (57 INCHES) TALL MAY SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR WITH AN ADULT SEATBELT.