New Virginia Car Seat Law Takes Effect in 2019

In the state of Virginia, there is a new law that was passed in the spring of 2018. It involves keeping your kids safer while riding as a passenger in a vehicle. Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill into a law that requires children within the state to be securely belted into rear-facing car seats until the age of two or when they reach the maximum weight limit as set by the seat’s manufacturer.

Parents say they are supportive of this new law, which is set to go into effect on July 1, 2019. Many people have been pushing for the bill, dubbed HB 708, to pass, including pediatricians, who have asserted that it makes children safer while riding in a motor vehicle.

If your vehicle lacks a back seat, the child can sit in the front passenger seat with the airbag deactivated. The law doesn’t apply to vehicles such as school buses, taxis and limousines.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, when children are in a vehicle that gets into a road accident, they are 74 percent less likely to sustain a serious injury or die while riding in a rear-facing seat. Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn, who sponsored the bill, also explained that the reason why it’s safer to keep children facing rear is that the bones and ligaments in their necks are not yet fully developed. Babies and toddlers tend to be heavy in the head, making it important that they face backward in a vehicle because it better protects their heads and necks.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) issued a statement reporting that Virginia will be only the 10th state that makes this a law. The AAA also stated that if a child is found to not be securely strapped in a rear-facing seat in a vehicle, the parent would receive a $50 ticket as a first violation. Any further violations would see a charge of $500.

Kids who are seven years and younger are also required to be seated in a booster seat in a vehicle’s back seat, a law that has remained in place in Virginia. As far as children older than seven are concerned, the laws for them are also unchanged. Kids between eight and 17 are required to sit in passenger seats with their seat belts secured as per current Virginia car seat law.

Governor Northam said he was proud to sign a bill that puts the safety of children first and foremost. He stressed how important it is to keep children safe while riding on the roads and that the bill would ensure that kids are kept safe if a collision were to occur.

There is a still nearly a full year before this law goes into effect. This should prove to be ample time for more parents and guardians to be educated about the importance of properly belting children in rear-facing seats in vehicles. Parents should also note that they can make the change now and that statistically, children are under the age of two are significantly safer in a rear facing car seat.

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