New Ohio Car Seat Law (1/6/09)
 Child Safety Rules

Ohio law requires children between the ages of four and 15 to be properly restrained by either a child seat, booster seat, or safety seat any time they are being transported by a motor vehicle. (This doesn't apply to children riding in taxicabs or public safety vehicles.)

Drivers who violate this law face a misdemeanor charge and at least a $25 fine.

Weight and Height Specifics

• If your child is under 1 year and under 20 pounds, he must be in a rear-facing child seat.

• If your child is at least 1 and weighs more than 20 pounds, he can ride in a forward-facing seat until he grows out of that seat.

• If your child weighs over 40 pounds, he must ride in a booster seat. Boosters properly position the seatbelt. Use a highback booster if the car's backseat is below the top of your child's ears.

• Your child must use the booster until he is 8 years old, or is at least 4'9" tall.

Children under age 12 should ride in the backseat to prevent airbag injuries and fatalities. The airbag deploys in an angle that will injure or kill a child, so if your child must ride in front, be sure you have an airbag turnoff switch.

The state has a pamphlet available on the subject of safety restraint systems and rules.

We at Pierce Township Fire Department are committed to provide our community with services that are proactive in preventing injuries. We want to make your children as safe as they possibly can be. That is why we have trained personnel that are child safety seat inspectors on our staff.

FYI...Did you know?
That each year more than 600 children under the age of 5 years old die as a result of motor vehicle crashes, and more than 13,000 suffer injuries. Many of these could be prevented if the children are secured properly in a child safety seat. The statistics from the Department of Transportation state that as many as 70% of those deaths could have been prevented and more than 60% of the injuries could have been prevented with proper seats and correct installation.

If you would like us to inspect your current car seat that is installed in your vehicle or help you in installing a new one,
please contact either Don Gates or Lt. Jeff Hill at 513-752-6273.