State Lawmaker Proposes Changing Child Car Seat Laws

A Democratic state lawmaker says Wisconsin needs to update regulations on child car seats to make them safer.

Rep. Chris Taylor of Madison is working on a bill that would require children be in rear-facing car seats twice as long as they are now. Currently state law requires kids 1 years old or younger to be in such seats — a policy that doesn’t reflect recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“It is so important to make sure that our laws are consistent with what parents are being educated to do, because it creates confusion if you’re being told on one hand keep them rear- facing until 2 and then you see somewhere else it’s 1 years old or 20 pounds,” said Taylor.

In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommended that children 13 years old and younger ride only in the back seat. Crash injury experts say they are safer there because they are further away from the impact of most accidents.