It is difficult for many people to realize that prior to 1956 there were no seat belts in cars. When laws were passed, making this a requirement, it did not address the danger of young children should an accident occur. Although children’s car seats had been manufactured since 1933, they originally were primarily for the purpose of raising the child above the car’s seat level. It was in 1962 that a prototype, leading to the current child restraints, was developed in England. This first device consisted of a padded seat, held by straps, which was placed in the rear seat.

It was in the 1960′s that the Federal Government passed the Twin Highway Acts, allowing the Department of Transportation to evoke standards regarding safety features in vehicles. However, it left the states with the authority to oversee driver laws which included seat belts. From 1966-1995, vehicle manufacturers installed air bags, shoulder harnesses, self-applying belts, and other features that protected the adults but did not address children’s needs.

During this same period rear-facing childrens’ safety seats were developed. They were designed for infants under 20 pounds. As the child grew the seat could be converted to a front facing seat for toddlers, up to 40 pounds, and to a booster seat for children between 30 and 70 pounds. Since that time there have been Federal regulations regarding various changes for these devices.

The design and manufacture of safety seats for children, has caused changes, which have made them much safer, should there be an accident. Regulations pertain to how the seat is designed, molded, and the materials used, all of which are closely supervised. The time required, from the original design to manufacturing, requires one to three years. A mandatory Federal requirement, passed in 2002, now requires special anchor attachments, on the back seat, be used with child safety seats, in place of the current seat belt.

There are Federal child seat belt guidelines regarding at what age and under what circumstances a child must use a seat. These guidelines recommend that booster seats be provided for children ages four to fourteen, depending on age, weight, height, and state. However, these are basic recommendations and are not the law. In some states booster seats are required up to the age of nine, while others allow those who are four or more to use regular seat belts.

All fifty states require safety seats for infants and children who fit special guidelines. Forty-seven states require safety protection, such as booster seats, for those who have outgrown safety seats but are unable to use safety belts due to their size. Only Florida, South Dakota and Arizona do not have booster seat laws. Five states now require seat belts on their school buses. As of January 2012, California passed a law that children under the age of eight, or less than four feet nine inches tall, must be protected by a booster or car seat. In addition, any child under eight must be placed in the back seat.

In the United States motor vehicle accidents are the major cause of children’s deaths. During 2009, for example, 1,314 children, under the age of 15, were killed, while an estimated 179,000 were injured. Data shows that child safety seats reduce the probability of death, in automobile accidents, by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

Child seat belt laws are an essential part of protecting children from death or serious injury. Basic requirements for this automobile safety are clearly defined, from infancy to age fourteen. The effectiveness of these laws is clearly apparent when viewing accident statistics over the years it behooves every parent to make sure their child is safe when transported from one location to another.