The Richmond Ambulance Authority is reminding everyone that the state’s Child Seat Law changes July 1, 2019. The new law requires children to ride rear-facing until age two or the child reaches the requirements for forward-facing based on height and weight as prescribed by the manufacturer of the safety seat.
The exact wording of the new law is,
Any person who drives on the highways of Virginia any motor vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1968, shall ensure that any child, up to age eight, whom he transports therein is provided with and properly secured in a child restraint device of a type which meets the standards adopted by the United States Department of Transportation.
Such child restraint device shall not be forward-facing until at least (i) the child reaches two years of age or (ii) the child reaches the minimum weight limit for a forward-facing child restraint device as prescribed by the manufacturer of the device. Further, child restraint devices shall be placed in the back seat of a vehicle.
In the event the vehicle does not have a back seat, the child restraint device may be placed in the front passenger seat only if the vehicle is either not equipped with a passenger side airbag or the passenger side airbag has been deactivated.
Once you have the correct seat it is important to make sure that the seat is installed correctly by a certified Child Passenger Safety Seat Technician (CPST). If you’re a Richmond resident, you can have your child’s seat inspected for free. You can make an appointment at https://raaems.org/outreach/#programs
