Laws in Virginia for Children in Cars
- Virginia law mandates that small children be properly secured in car seats.child in the car image by Natalia Pavlova from Fotolia.com
Driving a vehicle comes with certain expected responsibilities. All states require drivers to pass a licensing test to operate a vehicle alone. Beyond this initial test, there are laws that apply to driving as well as to carrying passengers. The state of Virginia has very specific laws for carrying minors. These laws are designed to protect individuals too young to protect themselves. - Virginia state law requires children up to the age of eight years old to be secured by child safety restraints when in vehicles. In addition, Virginia law dictates the way these restraints must be used. For instance, rear-facing child safety seats must be used in the back seat of a car. If the vehicle does not contain a back seat, it is legal to use the front seat only if the passenger side does not have an airbag, or has an airbag that has been deactivated. Any person driving with a child is subject to these laws, and violation of these laws is considered reason for an immediate citation.
- Children between the ages of eight and 16 must be properly secured in the restraint belts installed in the vehicle. Like the child seat law for children under the age of eight, this law is considered primary enforcement, which means it is possible to receive a citation for violation of this law alone. The only vehicles exempt from this law are taxicabs, school buses and limousines or other executive sedans.
- According to Virginia state law, no passenger under the age of 16 may ride in the rear cargo area of a pickup truck. The only exception to this law is for a truck participating in a parade or for specific farming purposes.
