New Child Passenger Safety—Booster Seat Law

 

Implementation of the new booster seat law

(Wisconsin Act 106)

  • The Child Booster Seat Law goes into effect on June 1, 2006.

  • To provide education about the new law, written warnings will be issued instead of citations for first violations during a grace period from June 1 until December 31, 2006.

  • Warnings issued during the grace period must be sent to the WisDOT.

  • Second and subsequent violations of the law before January 1, 2007, (during the grace period) are grounds for a citation.

  • On January 1, 2007, law enforcement officers will begin issuing citations for violations.

How to comply with the law (diagram below):

Generally, children must be properly restrained in a child safety seat until they reach age 4 (previous requirement), and in a booster seat until age 8 (new requirement). The new law includes the following four-step progression for effective child safety protection in vehicles.

 

1. Rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat* is required when the child:

     - Is less than 1-year-old or;

     - Weighs less than 20 pounds.

 

2.  Forward-facing child safety seat in the back seat* is required when the child:

     - Is at least 1-year-old but less than 4-years-old

     - Weighs at least 20 pounds but less than 40 pounds.

 

3. Booster seat is required when the child:

     - Is at least 4-years-old but less than 8-years-old

     - Weighs at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds

     - Is not 57-inches (4 feet, 9-inches) or taller.

 

4. Safety belt is required when the child:

     - Is 8-years-old or older or

     - Weighs 80 or more pounds or

     - Is 57-inches or taller

     - Child safety seat must be in the back seat if the vehicle is equipped with a back

        seat

 

Exemptions:

  • Children whose body-size, physical condition or medical condition makes safety restraints unreasonable are still exempt from the booster seat and safety belt laws.

  • There no longer is a “personal needs” exemption allowing the child to be removed from a safety restraint to attend to the child’s personal needs, such as feeding or diapering, while the vehicle is moving.

Changes to mandatory safety belt law:

  • Under the new law, drivers may be cited for allowing passengers of any age to be unbelted in their vehicle (The new law removes a previous provision in the mandatory safety belt law that did not make the driver responsible for unbelted passengers age 16 or older)

For more information or answers to questions:

  • Contact the Wisconsin Information Network for Safety at its toll-free number by dialing 1-866-511-9467 or Web site www.BoosterSeat.gov

 
   

W240 N3065 Pewaukee Road
Pewaukee, WI 53072
(262) 691-0921