Driving a reputable, high-quality vehicle is incredibly important for your child’s safety. However, using the proper, age-appropriate infant car seat, booster seat or child restraint system will safeguard your little one best of all.
While many moms and dads already know the buckling-up basics, new parents across Missouri and the rest of the country aren’t likely to know the difference between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat, let alone their state’s child safety seat laws. This guide's for those parents who are new to the game—or those who simply need a refresher on car seat regulations and recommendations.
Missouri Child Safety Seat Laws by Age & Size
0-4 Years or Under 40 lbs.
All children under the age of 4 years old, who weigh less than 40 pounds, must be fastened in an appropriate child restraint system. This includes rear-facing or front-facing infant cat seats, all-in-one seats and convertible car seats.
4-7 Years or Over 40 lbs.
Children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old, who weigh at least 40 pounds, must be fastened in an infant car seat, all-in-one seats, convertible seat or booster seat with lap and shoulder seat belt.
4-7 Years or Over 80 lbs. and Over 4'9" Tall
Children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old, who weigh at least 80 pounds and are at least 4'9" (57 inches), are required to be secured by the vehicle's seatbelt (lap and shoulder) or in a booster seat.
Missouri Car Seat Fines
Violating Missouri's seatbelt or child car seat law could result in a fine. If you are stopped by law enforcement and given a citation, you’ll be fined $50, plus the costs associated with going to court. Fines and court fees can be waived if the citated driver proves that they purchased an appropriate child seat.
Car seat laws, however, do not apply to Missouri taxi or rideshare drivers, public bus drivers, or those operating RVs.
Click here to read more about Missouri's child safety seat fines and various exemptions.
NHTSA Child Safety Seat Guidelines by Age & Size
As a new parent looking at child seats, you may want to go above and beyond your state's requirements. In that case, you should use National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recommendations when picking out a new car seat, as they're more comprehensive than state laws.
0-12 Months
All infants, no matter their weight or height, should be in a rear-facing infant car seat until their first birthday.
1-3 Years
Children under the age of 3 years should be kept in a rear-facing car seat until they meet the car seat manufacturer’s suggested height and weight limit.
Once your child reaches the seat manufacturer's top height and weight limits, you can transition them to a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.
4-7 Years
After your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat's top height and weight limits, they can start riding in a booster seat, preferably with a backrest, and a lap-and-shoulder seatbelt. Follow the official weight limits outlined on your booster seat to determine the right transition time.
8-12 Years
Children between 8 and 12 years of age can be fastened by a regular seatbelt, so long as the lap belt rests flat on the lap and the shoulder strap doesn’t extend past the collarbone. Otherwise, they should remain in a booster seat until they are taller.
13+ Years
Until your child becomes an official teenager, they should remain buckled up in the back seat.
Find a Car Seat Inspection Center Near You
Missouri law requires that all child car seats be installed properly. As any new parent can attest, installing a car seat is often far more confusing than it looks. Instead of playing the guessing game and incorrectly installing your child’s seat in your Honda, bring it to a federally certified car seat technician near you.You can look up inspection and installation locations in your neighborhood here. (And don’t forget to register your car seat when you’re done!)
Honda Sensing: Offering Peace of Mind to Parents Everywhere
Honda Sensing, one of the automotive industry’s most respected in-vehicle safety suites, is standard on all new Honda models, including the Accord, CR-V, Odyssey and Pilot.
What's included with Honda Sensing? Here's what you get when buying or leasing a new Honda HR-V or most other Honda models:
Alerts and assists drivers when there's an immediate risk of collision with another vehicle or pedestrian. In an effort to reduce damage, the system will automatically apply the brakes if a collision is unavoidable.
If the Honda veers outside of its detected lane without turn-signal activation, this system will automatically steer the vehicle back into its lane.
While drivers have their hands on the wheel, Lane Keeping Assist will passively keep the vehicle centered in its lane. This system works in tandem with Road Departure Mitigation and Traffic Jam Assist.
This intelligent cruise-control system senses the flow of traffic and adjusts traveling speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles detected ahead. If that detected vehicle comes to a stop or slows down, ACC will follow suit.
As the vehicle drives past certain road signs, the Traffic Sign Recognition camera system will read and display the signage information on the car's Driver Information Interface.
When driving at night, the Auto High-Beam system can automatically turn on the high beams when there are no vehicles ahead, then return to the low beams when vehicles ahead are detected.
Honda's standard Rear Seat Reminder system senses when the vehicle's rear door is opened prior to travel. After the vehicle is turned off, the system automatically notifies the driver with an audible alert and a "Check Rear Seats" warning message in the instrument panel.
Want to learn more about Honda Sensing or Honda's plans to build "zero human error" safety systems? Need help figuring out how to turn on or turn off a Honda feature? We'd be happy to chat or show you how.
Contact our Joplin Honda dealership at (417) 625-0800 to speak with a member of the Roper Honda sales team today!
Categories:
People