Georgia has passed a new law raising the age of mandatory use of a booster seat from children under 6 years to children under 8 years of age. Effective July 1, 2011, all children under the age of 8 years old will be required to be in a booster seat, unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches tall (57 inches), or has a medical condition that exempts him from using a booster seat.
Children over 40 pounds may be exempt only if all other lap & shoulder belts are being used by other children, or the car is not equipped with lap & shoulder belts.
The car seat or booster seat must:
- Be in the rear seat
- Be appropriate for the child’s weight and height
- Meet all US federal standards
- Be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions
Exemptions:
- Children under age 8 whose height is over 4 feet 9 inches or 57 inches
- Parent or Guardian has a written statement from a physician that the child has a physical or medical condition that prevents placing or restraining them as required by law
Exceptions:
A child under 8 years of age and weighing at least 40 pounds is not exempt from the law. They may use a lap belt only instead of a booster seat when:
- The vehicle is not equipped with lap and shoulder seat belts; or
- Excluding the driver’s seat, all seating positions with lap and shoulder belts are being used to restrain other children. In this case, the placement of car seats and boosters seats should be evaluated to determine if they can be repositioned to provide the best protection for all children being transported
A child under 8 years of age may only be in the front seat, properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster when:
- The vehicle has no rear seating position appropriate for correctly restraining a child.
- All appropriate rear seating positions are occupied by other children.
- Note: A rear-facing car seat should never be placed in the front passenger seat of any vehicle with an active air bag.
http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/childpassengersafety/faq.html