[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/06\/child-car-seat-rules-pennsylvania\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/06\/child-car-seat-rules-pennsylvania\/","headline":"The New Rules on Child Car Seats in Pennsylvania","name":"The New Rules on Child Car Seats in Pennsylvania","description":"Safety experts at UPMC say babies and toddlers should always sit in rear-facing seats. ","datePublished":"2016-06-15","dateModified":"2021-09-23","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/pediatrics","name":"Pediatrics","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/pediatrics","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/pediatrics\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Car-seat.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Car-seat.jpg","height":527,"width":791},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/06\/child-car-seat-rules-pennsylvania\/","about":["Pediatrics"],"wordCount":314,"keywords":["car crashes","car seat requirements","car seats","child safety"],"articleBody":"Pennsylvania children age 2 and younger must sit in rear-facing car seats after August 12, 2016, according to a new state law.The state is now the fourth in the country to require rear-facing seats for babies and toddlers. Safety experts at UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital of Pittsburgh\u00a0say the move will keep kids safer on the road.Since 2011, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have recommended that children younger than 2 remain in rear-facing car seats. Despite this, some parents have continued to follow outdated recommendations that advise children only remain rear-facing until they are 1 year old and weigh at least 20 pounds.Chris Vitale, MSN, RN, manager of Injury Prevention at UPMC Children\u2019s Hospital, said research has shown children are safest when they are seated in rear-facing seats.Think of it like this:Most car crashes are front-end collisions.In a crash, everything in a vehicle that\u2019s not tied or buckled down will move toward the point of impact \u2014 likely the front of the car \u2014 at the speed the car is traveling.Children sitting in a forward-facing position are restrained by only a seat belt or harness system.But kids facing the rear are protected by the entire back shell of a car seat \u2014 making them much less likely to suffer injury in a crash.In fact, children can be seated in a rear-facing position after age 2, just follow the safety guidelines in your car seat\u2019s instruction manual, including height and weight guidelines. Many car seat manufacturers have adjusted height and weight ranges based on the safety of facing in a rear position.\u201cIt may be a little less convenient,\u201d Vitale said of the new rear-facing requirement. \u201cBut it matters so much more in the event of a motor vehicle crash.\u201dVisit the UPMC Children\u2019s Injury Prevention website for more information on keeping your kids safe."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"06","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/\/06\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The New Rules on Child Car Seats in Pennsylvania","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2016\/06\/child-car-seat-rules-pennsylvania\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]