Idaho Car Seat Laws - Updated & Simplified
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Idaho Car Seat Laws
Idaho Car Seat Laws (ID Statutes 49-672 and 49-673)
What do the passenger safety laws for children in Idaho say?
ID Statute 49-672 – Passenger safety for children
- A child under 6 years must be properly secured in a child safety restraint system that meets federal safety standards.
- If a rear-facing car seat is to be installed in the front seat, the airbag must be deactivated.
More on the Law
- These laws may not apply when a child is removed from the car safety restraint and held by the attendant for the purpose of nursing the child or attending to the child’s other immediate physiological needs.
- This gives express freedom to feed a baby in a car seat; however, the vehicle should not be in motion. That means. If you are traveling with your baby in the car and need to feed or tend to them, it is best to pull over.
- The laws do not also apply if all the safety restraints vehicle’s seat belts are in use; however, a child in such a vehicle must be placed in the back seat if it is equipped with one.
- The car seat laws do not also apply when an occupant may not be able to be secured by a safety restraint for medical reasons. A written statement from a licensed physician shall be provided.
- A person who violates the safety restraint law shall be issued a citation and be subject to a fine of $10.
Laws on Rear Facing
The Idaho car seat laws only mention that children under 6 years ride in a car seat but do not define the types of car seats – rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seats.
Going by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation, a newborn is to ride in a rear-facing car seat for up to 2 years of age.
Car seat manufacturers also follow this guideline and recommend that infants ride rear-facing for up to 2 years or till the child outgrows the weight and height limits of the car seat.
Therefore, you should use a rear-facing car seat for your child under 2 years and install it in the back seat.
The center back seat is the safest place to install a car seat. It would be best to consider installing your infant seat in this location.
Laws on Forward Facing
There’s no mention of the forward-facing car seat in the car seat laws.
However, when a child outgrows the weight and height limit for the rear-facing car seat, they are to ride forward-facing.
When pregnant and planning a car seat to buy, a convertible car seat is a recommended choice as it saves you more money in the long term, though at the cost of little convenience – it is bulkier than an infant seat.
A convertible car seat can be used as rear-facing and later converted to forward-facing when your child outgrows the rear-facing position. Here’s how to choose a convertible car seat.
Laws on Booster Seat
A child is to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat after outgrowing the forward-facing car seat.
Although the Idaho car seat law mentions a booster seat, the appropriate safety seat for a child after the forward-facing is the belt-positioning car seat.
A booster seat must be secured with the lap and shoulder belt.
Laws on Seat Belt
Idaho is not clear on seat belt use for children; even though it mentions the car seat law may not apply when ‘all the seat belts are in use, it doesn’t specify the age a child is to use the seat belt.
It is recommended that a child outgrows the weight and height limit of the booster seat before using a seat belt, usually from the age of 12 years.
Other Safety Seat Laws in Idaho
Safety Seat Laws for Other Passengers in a Car
All other occupants of a vehicle must use a seat belt.
Car Seat Laws on Front Seat – Can A Child Sit in The Front Seat?
Idaho car seat laws allow a child to ride in the front seat if the vehicle lacks a back seat. However, the airbag must be deactivated if a rear-facing car seat is installed in the front seat.
This also means a car seat can be installed in a single cab truck. You want to ensure your truck has the proper installation features for a car seat, including the rear and forward-facing car seats.
Ubers, Taxis, or Cabs
Idaho technically exempts taxis from the car seat laws.
“No noncommercial motor vehicle operator shall transport a child….”
Notwithstanding, you still need to consider your child’s safety and have them secured in their car seat while in a taxi. The driver could hit the brakes suddenly, and the passengers are pushed forwards.
Installing a car seat in a taxi as you can do that without the base, easy peasy.
Leaving a Child Alone in a Vehicle in Idaho
Idaho does not precisely have a law that prohibits leaving a child alone in a car. Still, it has a law (chapter 15: Children and vulnerable adults) that prohibits “willfully,” causing ‘bodily harm or death to a child.
Leaving a child alone in a car can usually cause harm to that child and, in extreme circumstances, in hot weather, lead to the death of that child. A car’s internal temperature can reach 116 °F in less than an hour during summer, making a child suffer heatstroke and eventually death.
14% of parents say they have intentionally left their infants, toddlers, and kindergarten children alone in a parked vehicle.
The Idaho law quoted earlier defines “willfully” to mean “acting or failing to act where a reasonable person would know the act or failure to act is likely to result in injury or harm or is likely to endanger the person, health, safety, or well-being of the child.”
This means it is not a recommended practice to leave a child alone in a car in Idaho, and if a child sustains an injury or dies as a result of this, you would have committed the crime of injury to a child.
The hottest season of the year is summer, where internal car temperatures reach record highs. You can learn how to keep your baby cool in a car seat. While in winter, when it gets cold. You should learn to keep a baby warm. Nevertheless, never leave a child alone in a car, even when traveling with your newborn, except you have your spouse to watch the child while you get something.
Smoking Around Children in a Car in Idaho – is it illegal?
While there’s currently no law that prohibits smoking around minors in a car, a bill was proposed in 2020 by the Health and Welfare Committee seeking to ban smoking around minors under 18 years when in a vehicle.
Second-hand smoke is responsible for several health risks in children, including asthma, ear infection, respiratory infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDs).
We as parents, are responsible for our children’s health and safety.
Helpful Resource for Idaho - Car Seat Inspection in Idaho
Here are some go-to resources for more help on car seat installation, car seat inspection, etc., in the State of Idaho.
- NHTSA Car Seat Inspection Stations directory – Inspection Stations Directory
- Meridian Fire Department – Car Seat Inspections
- St Luke’s Boise – Car Seat Safety Checks
- Saint Alphonsus – Car Seat Safety Checks
- Ada County Paramedics – Car Seat Installation
- Owyhee County – Car Seat Inspections
