Car seat law change starts Jan. 1

California will have a new car-seat law come Jan. 1 that is intended to increase safety for young children, according to California Highway Patrol.

In the new year, rear-facing car seats will be required for children younger than 2 who also weigh less than 40 pounds or are less than 40 inches tall.

The law change comes after alarming numbers from CHP show that at least 75 percent of car seats are not installed the right way. With that in mind, CHP . is offering to install car seats for free.

Soon-to-be parents Patrick and Sissy Owen showed up Friday at the CHP office in Gilroy to get some help installing their new car seats.

“We are having identical twins,” said Patrick Owen. “So we want to make sure we know what we are doing.”

CHP Officer Chris Miceli was there to help.

“We are able to educate the parents early on about how to properly utilize the car seat,” said Miceli.

Currently the law requires children under 8 years old or under 4 feet 9 inches tall to be secured in a car seat or booster seat.

“Not only do we cover how to install the car seat but also how the baby is seated into the car seat itself,” said Miceli.

The CHP doesn’t recommend any particular brand of car seat, but Miceli does offer some advice, saying always buy your car seat new, and check the expiration date because the car’s heat can affect the strength of the plastic.
Lastly, always get your car seat installed by an expert.

“So go ahead and give your local CHP office a call and schedule an appointment to bring your car seat in for a free inspection,” said Miceli.

Patrick and Sissy Owen are glad they did.

“We just want to make sure the babies are safe wherever we go,” said Sissy Owen.