New Michigan Child Restraint
Law in Effect

Michigan has a new law that requires the use of approved booster seats in autos for children who are both under 8 years old and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. The previous law required children under age 4 to ride in a car seat. The new law extends the requirement to include older children who are not adequately protected by seat belts alone.

The new child restraint law is a primary enforcement law. That means traffic enforcement officers can stop a driver for that violation alone and issue a ticket for each improperly restrained child. Violators will face a fine of up to $65.

Proper restraint use is critical since motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Michigan children. Research has shown that the risk of injury for children ages 4 to 8 is reduced by 59 percent when using a booster seat versus a seat belt alone. Seat belts are designed for adults and don’t fit children correctly. Children in seat belts are four times more likely to suffer head/brain injury as compared with those in booster seats. Michigan joins 43 other states by adopting an expanded child passenger safety law. States that have passed similar laws have seen child restraint use increase dramatically.