New child car seat installation law begins Jan. 1 in Colorado
Starting on Jan. 1, 2025, Colorado parents and guardians will see changes in how you should install your child's car seat in your vehicle.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motor vehicle crashes still remain the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In 2023, 78% of car seats inspected by child passenger safety technicians in Colorado were not being used correctly or were not installed properly. This is according to the Child Passenger Safety Board's National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF) database. This figure is an increase from 2022 when the misuse rate was just under 70%.
On June 4, Gov. Jared Polis signed a new bill (HB24-1055) that updates Colorado's child restraint system law for the first time in 14 years. The updates reflect the latest research and recommendations on child passenger safety, ensuring the laws keep pace with evolving best practices.
These new changes include:
- Booster seats: Children must now use a car seat or booster seat until they are 9 years old (previously under 8 years old).
- Rear-facing car seats: Children under 2 years old and weighing under 40 pounds must be restrained in a rear-facing car seat in the rear seat if available (previously under 1 year old and under 20 pounds). Children under 2 years old but weighing over 40 pounds may use either a rear-facing or forward-facing car seat.
- Seat belt or car seat requirement ages: Children under 18 must now be properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint system (previously under 16 years old).
State Child Passenger Safety Training Coordinator for the Colorado Department of Transportation Angel Giffin tells CBS News Colorado First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod these changes are needed to protect your child's head, neck, and spine. Giffin tells Sherrod all parents and guardians need to prepare for what-if scenarios, especially with crashes.
"We all like to think that we are very cautious drivers, but we know there are a lot of distracted drivers out there or impaired drivers that we have to watch out for," Giffin said. "We have to prepare for that. Anytime we are going to get in the vehicle, we need to make sure that we are taking a couple of minutes to properly harness those kiddos. We also need to make sure that we as adults are properly buckling up as the role models and protect ourselves as well."
If you are having any issues with installing your car seat, read your car seat manual and car manual. If the installation is still complicated, contact a Car Seat Specialist by heading to CarseatsColorado.com. The installation and lessons are free. There are 100 stations across the state of Colorado. Each installation will take between 20 to 30 minutes.
Parents and guardians also need to be on high alert for counterfeit car seats. Check the label, manufacturer tags, and expiration dates on the car seats. Giffin says all labels are required to be in English. You may see Spanish as a second language. Each car seat should say, "certified for use in motor vehicles."
Also, register your car seat with the manufacturer. If there is a recall, you will be the first to know.
