The law: Minnesota State Statute 169.685 Subd. 5.Violation; petty misdemeanor (a): Every motor vehicle operator, when transporting a child who is both under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches on the streets and highways of this state in a motor vehicle equipped with factory-installed seat belts, shall equip and install for use in the motor vehicle, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, a child passenger restraint system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards. (This law was effective July 1, 2009.) The key to understanding this law is the “according to the manufacturer’s instructions.” You will NEED to read and study the instruction manual you received with the car seat AND the child restraint section of your motor vehicle instructional manual, generally located in your glove compartment. These “manufacturer’s instructions” become the law. If you have lost any of these items, you can still check online (your car seat should have the information/recommendations on it), consult with your local state trooper or other law enforcement, or check out a car seat clinic.

Legally: The child must be secured (buckled) in the safety seat. The seat must be secured to the vehicle. Infants (under 20 pounds and one year of age) must be in a rear-facing safety seat. Pick-up trucks with passenger air bags and no “shut-off” switch and no back seat cannot safely transport babies under one year of age and under 20 pounds. Babies this age must ride rear-facing and always in the back seat; the front may only be used if there is no danger from an airbag. If you must put your child in the front seat, slide the vehicle seat back as far as it will go.

When buckling up your children, always take into consideration their safety first and foremost. Life is busy and we are often in a hurry. The cold weather during this time of the year doesn’t make it any more pleasant either. Take the extra time to see they are buckled in properly. I can assure you it will be worth it. Don’t accept the mentality “It won’t happen to me!” or “We’re just going a little ways.” Nobody plans on getting in a crash, so always be prepared! You may be a great driver; however, there are some out there who are not, and those are the ones we also need to look for. Sometimes we never see it coming. When buckling up that child, take that extra moment to make them feel special. Be safe in your travels and journeys over this holiday season.

If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws in Minnesota, please send your questions to: Trooper Jesse Grabow — Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501, or reach me at jesse.grabow@state.mn.us.

For more information please check out:

www.carseatsmadesimple.org,

www.buckleupkids.state.mn.us, and

www.dps.state.mn.us/ots.