A 3-minute lesson from the New Jersey course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Traffic crashes are a leading killer of children. New Jersey law sets the type of seat by a child's age and weight or height, and it keeps young children in the back seat. The right seat, used correctly every trip, is the best protection you can give.
Know the rule
Child restraints must meet all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Seats built since January 1, 1981 must pass tough safety tests and carry a label with the date of manufacture.
All children under age eight must sit in a rear seat. If the vehicle has no rear seat, they must be secured in an approved seat or booster in the front.
You're driving your 3-year-old niece, who weighs 35 pounds, in a sedan. She must ride in a rear seat in a 5-point harness seat (rear-facing until she outgrows it, then forward-facing), not a booster.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Children under age 8 who are less than 57 inches tall must ride in what type of restraint?
An adult seat belt in any seat
A rear-facing seat only
A 5-point harness seat or booster, in a rear seat
A booster seat in the front seat
Answer: A 5-point harness seat or booster, in a rear seat
Children under 8 and under 57 inches tall must ride in a forward-facing 5-point harness seat or booster seat in a rear seat.