Effective June 24, 2015, Kentucky House Bill 315 requires that children younger than 8, or under 57 inches tall, be secured in a booster seat at all times while riding in a car.    This Bill requires law enforcement officers to issue a $30 citation (with no court costs involved) to drivers who violate the new booster seat requirements.  Violators are given the option to purchase a booster seat instead of paying the fine.

If a child is older than 8 years old or over 57 inches tall, they are not required by law to ride in a booster seat.   However, since booster seats are intended to lift the child up off the vehicle seat to improve the fit of the adult lap and shoulder seatbelt, the House Bill encourages drivers to keep children under 57 inches riding in a booster until they meet the height requirement, regardless of age.

An improper fit of the adult safety belt can cause the lap belt to ride up over the stomach and the shoulder belt to cut across the neck, potentially exposing the child to serious abdominal or neck injury.    Therefore, the lap portion of the belt should fit low on the hips or high on the thighs and the shoulder portion of the belt should be snug across the collarbone.

Fire Department of Bellevue-Dayton does not presently have a training program to assist citizens in the proper way to install car seats.   To assist you in that service, please contact us at 261-0083 for a referral to a local fire department.