Child Passenger Safety

PennDOT cares about protecting our children and encourages all adults to take the responsibility of keeping them safe when riding in a vehicle. It is our job to make sure they buckle up - from the time when children are too young to do it themselves to the time they climb behind the wheel for the first time.

Pennsylvania’s Seat Belt Law

Under Pennsylvania´s primary child passenger safety law, children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle.
Children from age four up to age eight must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat.
Children from age 8 up to age 18 must be in a seat belt.

Child Safety Seat Fitting Stations

PennDOT provides funding for more than 75 fitting stations where trained technicians will check that the child safety seat is properly installed. To find a fitting station near you, search the Fitting Station directory. Use your city and state to find a certified child passenger safety technician through the Safe Kids Web site.

Child Safety Seat Loan Programs

In many counties across the state, loan programs provide child safety seats to families in need to help them follow the law and keep children safe when riding in vehicles. Loan programs may carry a variety of seats, including infant seats, convertible seats, combination seats and booster seats. To find a loan program near you, search the Car Seat Loan directory.

Transportation for Children with Special Needs

The Traffic Injury Prevention Project sponsored by PennDOT provides school districts, school bus contractors, hospitals, pediatricians, parents and other health care providers with the most current information about the atypical transportation needs of children with special health care needs, teen parents, special education students and the pre-school population. Information is available for passenger vehicles, school buses/vehicles, as well as wheelchairs and child passenger safety restraints.

For more information on child passenger safety in Pennsylvania, visit the PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project or call 1-800-CAR-BELT.

Child Passenger Safety Week 2009

Pennsylvania participated in National Child Passenger Safety Week from Sept. 12-18. During that time, PennDOT encouraged parents and guardians of young children to have their child safety seats inspected for proper use and installation.