Child Car Seat Program
Did you know that 4 out of 5 Child Car Seats are installed incorrectly?
You can have your car seat installed and checked by a trained professional. We have Certified Child Car Seat Technicians to assist you in installing your safety seats.
Please call 419-774-3542 for an appointment.
Ohio Buckles Buckeyes Program
Ohio Buckles Buckeyes is a program that provides child safety seats and booster seats to eligible low-income families throughout Ohio. Richland County residents who are eligible can receive a free car seat through Richland Public Health (when seats are available).
- To be eligible for the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes program, you must:
- Be a Richland County resident
- Meet income eligibility guidelines (Must be enrolled in the Richland County WIC program or be WIC eligible)
- Have a vehicle to install the seat in (you do not have to own the vehicle)
- Have, or be the legal guardian of, a child between 6 months old and 4 years old for a convertible car seat or between 5 years old and 8 years old for a high back booster. NOTE: We DO NOT provide infant carrier car seats.
- Complete the necessary paperwork and seat overview and assist in installing the proper seat in your vehicle.
- Please call 419-774-3542 for more information.
Best Car Seat Recommendations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted the best Car Seat recommendations for safety:
NHTSA has released guidelines on child restraints categorizing by age rather than by type of child seats to keep pace with the latest scientific and medical research and the development of new child restraint technologies. Under these guidelines, NHTSA is advising parents and caregivers to keep children in each restraint type, including rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seats, for as long as possible, using the weight limits of the car seat, before moving them up to the next type of seat.
Recommendations For All Ages
- Select a car seat based on your child’s age, height, and weight.
- Keep your child in the proper car seat for as long as possible.
- All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.
- Follow the car seat manufacturer’s instructions and your vehicle owner’s manual on how to install it.
Ohio law requires children to be in booster seats
Once your child is over 40 pounds and more than four years old, they must then be in a booster seat until 8 years old or 4′ 9″ tall.
Here’s what the law says:
Children less than 8 years of age, unless they have reached 4’9″ in height:
Secondary Enforcement – Booster Seat Violation
4511.81 (C) Unless required by division (A) or (B) to be secured in child restraints, children must be properly secured following manufacturers’ instructions in booster seats that meet federal motor vehicle safety standards.
| Ohio’s Child Restraint Law | |||
| Children who are in either or both categories: • less than 4 years of age: • less than 40 pounds: Primary Enforcement – Child Restraint Violation Children must be in a properly used child restraint in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions. 4511.81 (A) (A) (1) – If a child is younger than 4 (A) (2) – If a child weighs less than 40 pounds 4511.81 (B) – If a child is in a day care or pre-school vehicle (B) (1) – If a child is younger than 4 (B) (2) – If a child weighs less than 40 pounds Children less than 8 years of age, unless they have reached 4’9″ in height: Secondary Enforcement – Booster Seat Violation 4511.81 (C) Unless reguired by division (A) or (B) to be secured in child restraints, children must be properly secured in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions in booster seats that meet federal motor vehicle safety standards. • Regulated daycare vehicles are exemptedChildren who are 8-15 years of age (or younger children who are at least 4′ 9″ tall): Secondary Enforcement – Seat Belt Violation 4511.81 (D) Children must be properly restrained in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions in child restraints, booster seats, or seat belts. • Regardless of front or back seat occupancy.Note: All of the above sections have the following exemptions: Taxicabs, Public Safety Vehicles, Vehicles not equipped with seat belts at the time of manufacture, Chiropractor or physician affidavit of examption, Life-threatening emergencies.All of the above sections require the driver to be ticketed, not the child.All of the above sections are MM on a first offense with a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum fine of $75. Second offenses are M4 that have fines to $250 and jail time to 30 days.If more than one child is not restrained at the time of the the stop, only one citation can be issued. Include all applicable subsections. | |||
| Summary: Ohio Law says children must be in an approved child passenger safety seat until age four and forty pounds. They must then be in a booster until 4′ 9″ tall or 8-years old. Ohio law says All occupants 15 and under must be restrained by a child safety seat, belt positioning booster, or lap and shoulder belts. |
Parent & Caregiver Resources
Is Your Child In The Right Seat?
Get Car Seat Safety Tips for Your Child here from SafeKids
Note From a Reader
“My daughter was severely injured in a car accident a few years back and since then we’ve come up with the idea to start a car safety program at our library. As a mother, her passion and dedication to creating and researching for this program has been something I can be truly proud of. This is not something that would have been possible without her. After a few weeks of researching for what my daughter and I considered to be the very best car safety resources on the internet, we found Richland Public Health’s “Child Passenger Safety” page.
