Maryland?s child passenger safety law has changed. Effective today, the new mandates center around an increased age for child safety seats, including:
? Every child under the age of eight must ride in a booster seat or other appropriate child safety seat (including infant, convertible, forward-facing, booster and other federally approved seats) unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches or taller, or weighs more than 65 pounds.
? Every child from 8 to 16 years old who is not secured in a car seat must wear a seat belt.
It is recommended that all children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat, as that is the safest location in the vehicle. For questions about the new child passenger safety law, call Maryland Kids in Safety Seats (KISS) at 1-800-370-SEAT or 410-767-6016. For additional information, go to the Maryland KISS Web site at {www.mdkiss.org}.
