Pediatricians Recommend Changes To Car Seat Regulations

The American Academy of Pediatrics is changing their recommendations on how long children should be secured with car seats and boosters in vehicles, according to WGRZ.

Previously, recommendations for car seats and boosters were based on the child's age, not weight. Now, a child's weight is the primary factor in determining what kind of car seat, and when to transition to a booster.

The new guidelines recommend children stay in a rear-facing car seat until they reach 35 lbs -- which is around 4-years-old. Previous recommendations put a two-year old into a forward facing seat instead, according to Dr. Kathryn Bass of Oishei Children’s Hospital, as told to WGRZ. 

WGRZ states, "once your child is in a forward-facing seat, use it until they exceed the weight limit. Usually it's around 60 pounds. When that happens, start using a booster seat. When they're too big for that, make sure they're always buckled up."

State law makes no distinction about weight versus age; according to NYS law, all children must be in a car seat until age 4.