The safety and health of a child is the first priority of every parent but Virginia laws also care for the child safety especially while driving in the form of Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Laws. This law has enforced the parents to travel with the kids with full safety with the help of child car seats and seat belts so that the baby could be safe in case of jerks, sudden brakes or potential accident injuries.
What is Child Restraint Law?
According to the Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Laws, section 46.2- 1095, every child up to 8 years of age should be properly secured with the help of a safety car seat, seat belt or booster seat no matter what the height or weight of the child is. The law section has also considered the following implications;
- Every child should be given a separate car restrained seat or any safety device that must not be shared among the kids.
- No any person sitting in a vehicle is allowed to hold a child in the lap.
- Parents should educate the children the importance of seat belts and car restraints so that they can be lifelong seat belt users.
Selection of a Child Restraint
Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Laws have also stated the features of the best child restraint so that the parents could easily choose the appropriate child safety device according to their vehicle. The features of child restraint are;
- It must be comfortable
- It must be according to the age, height, and weight of the child
- It must be fitted in the vehicle
- It must not be used for more than 6 years and must be having a usage history in the form of a recall status.
Where to Place the Child Restraint
According to the Code of Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Laws, the child safety or restraint should be placed in the back seat of the vehicle.
If there is no back seat and the child safety seat has to be placed in the front seat, then the passenger airbag must be de-activated. You can follow the instructions in the device manual to understand how the side airbags could affect child restraints.
Certification of the Child Restraint
The Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Law has also proposed that the child restraint should be certified with the National Child Passenger Safety Certification that has been administered by Safe Kids Worldwide and Child Passenger Safety.
Training of the Child Restraint
The National Child Passenger Safety Certification has also started a training program in which CPS technicians are trained to assist the parents and caregivers regarding the use and maintenance of the child restraint systems and seat belts. Moreover, the Child Passenger Basic Awareness Course is also offered by the CPS instituted to ensure the child safety and prevention while traveling.
Penalty of Child Restraint Laws
In case of having a child without restraint device, the Fairfax Virginia Child Restraint Law has imposed a civil penalty of $50 for the driver or guardian. If a person is found violating the law for repeated times at different dates, will be charged with a fine of up to $500. In case of any medical issues that do not allow the child to be seated with a restraint, a written medical statement is required to be shown at the time of assessment.