Madison County Health Department
Child Passenger Safety Program

To protect, promote and improve the health of our community

It is Kentucky State Law that children riding in a vehicle must be in a child safety seat or booster seat. The law (KRS189.125) states that children who are 3’4” (40 inches) tall or less must ride in a car seat. Children who are between 3’4” (40 inches) and 4’2” (50 inches) and are under 7 years old must ride in a booster seat.

Here at the health department, we want to help you keep your child safe when riding in a vehicle. We offer car seat installations by appointment on the following days:

In Berea	In Richmond:
1st Monday of the month 4:00pm – 5:30pm	3rd Monday of the month 4:00pm – 5:30pm
2nd Wednesday of the month 8:30am – 10:00 am	4th Wednesday of the month 8:30am – 10:00am

To ask further questions or to make an appointment, please call 626-4251.

You may also contact the following for appointments:
Corey Lewis at Richmond Fire Dept. – 623-1164
Trooper Paul Blanton at KY State Police – 623-2404
Lisa McDermott at White House Clinic-Richmond – 626-7700 ext. 2032

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has some recommendations for keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle.

Recommendations for All Children:

• You should choose a car seat based on your child’s age, height, and weight.

• Keep using the car seat for as long as possible, as long as your child meets the height and weight limits for the seat.

• All children under 13 years old should ride in the back seat.

Recommendation for Birth – 12 months:

• Children within this range should ride in a rear-facing seat located in the back seat of the vehicle.

Recommendations for 1-3 years:

• These children should still ride in a rear-facing seat located in the back seat of the vehicle.

• If the child has outgrown the height and weight limits for the rear-facing seat, he/she can ride in a forward-facing car seat.

Recommendations for 4-7 years:

• Children within this age range should ride in a forward-facing car seat with a harness located in the back seat of the vehicle until they outgrows the seat.

• The child can ride in a booster seat if he/she has outgrown a forward-facing car seat.

Recommendations for 8-12 years:

• Children within this range should ride in a booster seat until he/she is big enough to fit in a regular seat belt.

• The regular seat belt fits properly when the lap belt fits across upper thighs and not the stomach, and the shoulder belt fits across the shoulder and chest not the neck or face.

• Children under 13 years old should still ride in the back seat of a vehicle even after they outgrow a booster seat.

Front Seat vs. Back Seat
Ky Booster Seat Law
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