Booster Seats

Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat of a car, even when using car safety seats. Infants should ride in rear-facing car seats from birth to at least one year (or 20 pounds) before moving to a forward-facing toddler seat, which they can stay in until they are about age four, or 40 pounds. People often believe that children who outgrow their safety seats should use safety belts. However, safety belts are designed for adults and will not fully restrain many children in an accident. Children should ride in booster seats from age four (or 40 pounds) until age 8, unless they are 4’9” or taller. Unfortunately, studies show that only 10 to 20 percent of children who should be in booster seats actually use them.

Law enforcement officers can stop a vehicle if they have reasonable suspicion that a driver is violating the child safety device law, which is codified in the Alaska Statutes at (AS 28.05.095). A driver convicted of violating that law may be fined $50, but has 30 days to prove that he or she installed an appropriate safety device.

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