Child Passenger Safety

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children aged one-19 years. Ninety-four percent of Nebraskans use child safety seats, but nearly 85 percent of those seats are installed incorrectly. .

Buckling children in age and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.

Starting January 1, 2019, Nebraska’s child passenger laws change to keep children safer as they travel. New provisions of the law include:

1.      Children must ride rear-facing up to age 2 or until they reach the upper weight and height limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer;

2.      Children up to age 8 must ride in a correctly installed car seat or booster seat;

3.      Children up to age 8 must ride in the back seat, as long as there is a back seat equipped with a seat belt and is not already occupied by other children under eight years of age

If you transport children, make sure their seats are installed correctly and they are the appropriate seats for their height, weight, age and developmental stage. Read the manuals of the child restraint and vehicle for correct installation. Child restraint manufactures have video instructions on their websites for assistance. The best way to know you are doing it right is to have your seat checked by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician- click here to find one in your area.