HELENA — On Wednesday, a new Montana law went into effect, updating the state’s child passenger safety law.
The law comes from House Bill 586 and mandates the type of restraint a parent or caregiver must place on a child while in a motor vehicle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, proper restraint reduces the risk for serious injury by about 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in toddlers.
The new law outlines that children under the age of 2 must be in a rear-facing harness seat, children between the ages of 2 and 4 can be in a rear or forward-facing harness seat, and those between 4 and 8 years old can be in a forward-facing harness or booster seat.
The Montana Department of Transportation does offer car seat checks, and resources can be found here.
