In the State of Utah, and indeed in all other states, there are laws in place to protect young passengers from death or injury. The laws in every state are founded in common sense, but may vary somewhat from state to state. Anyone driving a motor vehicle containing children in Utah is required to understand and abide by the laws regarding child seats.
Summary of Utah child seat safety laws
In Utah, the laws pertaining to child seat safety can be summarized as follows:
Any child up to age eight must ride in the back seat, and must be in an approved booster seat or car seat.
Children under 8 that are at least 57 inches tall do not have to be in a car seat or a booster seat. They can use the vehicle’s safety belt system.
Do not place a rear-facing child seat where it could come into contact with a deployed air bag.
It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure that any child up to the age of 16 is properly restrained using a child safety seat, or a properly adjusted seat belt.
Motorcycles and mopeds, school buses, authorized emergency vehicles, and vehicles that were made before 1966 are exempt from the requirements to restrain children.
You must ensure that your car seat has been crash tested. If it has not, then it is not legal. Look for a label on the seat that tells you it meets federal safety standards for motor vehicles.
Penalties
If you violate Utah’s child seat safety laws, you could be fined $45.
In Utah, every year, about 500 children under age 5 are hurt in motor vehicle accidents. Up to 10 are killed. Make sure your child is properly secured.
This article originally appeared on YourMechanic.com as Child Seat Safety Laws in Utah and was authored by Valerie Johnston.