For Sacramento families, the difference between a safe ride and a dangerous one can come down to a few inches, a harness strap, or whether a child has moved out of a booster seat too soon. During Child Passenger Safety Week, local police are urging parents and caregivers to take a fresh look at how children are secured before the car ever leaves the driveway.
The reminder comes during the annual campaign, observed Sept. 21-27, with a focus on choosing the right car seat, installing it correctly and making sure seat belts fit children the way they should. Sacramento police say those details matter because misuse remains common, even when a child is riding in a restraint that may appear appropriate at first glance.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46% of car seats are misused. Correct use can have a major impact in serious crashes: properly installed car seats reduce fatal injury crashes by 71% for infants under 1 year old and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 through 4.
“When it comes to protecting our youngest passengers, there is no room for guesswork,” Sacramento Police Department Sergeant Anna Mahoney said. “Child Passenger Safety Week is a good reminder of how critical it is to choose the right car seat and ensure it is installed properly.”
California law sets specific requirements based on a child’s age, height and weight. Children younger than 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat unless they weigh at least 40 pounds or are at least 40 inches tall.
After that point, children who are under age 8 must still be secured in an appropriate car seat or booster seat in the back seat. Children who are 8 or older, or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, may use a booster seat, but at minimum must be secured with a safety belt.
Those rules also underline why moving from one type of restraint to another is not simply a matter of reaching a birthday. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to keep children in the correct rear-facing or forward-facing seat for as long as possible before moving them to the next stage.
Another change is already on the horizon. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, AB 435 will require children ages 8 through 16 to pass every part of the “Five-Step Test” before they can use a seat belt without a booster seat.
The Sacramento Police Department is encouraging families not to wait for the new requirement to take effect. Parents and caregivers can begin using the Five-Step Test now to judge whether a child is large enough for a seat belt to fit safely without a booster.
The broader message of the week is simple: age alone does not always determine when a child is ready for the next type of restraint. Size, fit and correct installation remain central to keeping young passengers protected, and checking those details can be part of a family’s regular driving routine.
Families looking for additional traffic safety information can visit www.gosafelyca.org.
The Sacramento Police Department’s Child Passenger Safety Week effort is supported by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, with funding provided through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.