What You Need to Know About Minnesota’s New Child Passenger Safety Laws

DULUTH, Minn. — Starting August 1, there’s new ways for children to be safe while riding in vehicles.

The new “5 Step Test” aims for child safety. Children must (1) sit flat against the back of the seat (2) without falling asleep consistently, (3) keeping knees at a 90-degree angle (4) with the seat belt resting across the hips and (5) running across the child’s chest.

According to the new Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Law, infants under 2-years-old must be secured in a rear-facing car or rear facing convertible.

“So, when a car seat is rear facing, the shell of the seat is going to take the impact,” said Child Passenger Safety Instructor Alison Shea. “If you were in an accident, if that child is forward facing, the impact is going to go across the harness and that child is going to go forward. So, they’re going to experience head and neck back impact.”

Children at least 2 years old and who has outgrown the height and weight limits of a rear car seat can switch to a forward-facing car seat with an internal harness.

Children at least 4-years-old who have outgrown forward-facing car seat can move into a belt positioning booster seat up until being 9 years old.

“So, we’re finding that a lot of caregivers are transitioning their children out of a booster seat prematurely because they feel like their child is big enough to be in a lap and shoulder belt only. But we’re actually finding that children that are removed prematurely are prone to injuries on impact,” said Shea. “So, we want them to be the booster seats going to lift the child up so that the seat belt is in the correct position.”

Upcoming dates and locations of child car seat check-ups done by the Duluth Fire Department.

Under the new law, children under the age of 13 must sit in the backseat of any vehicles. Children must now pass a “5 Step Test” in order to ride without a booster seat.

For parents and caretakers of children who now have car seats no longer have the appropriate seat for their children based on on the new laws, the Duluth Fire Department has recently received a grant that will supply qualifying lower-income families with a new car seat.

The DFD will also hold a car seat check-up on August 8 at Fire Station #2 from 4-6 p.m.