Understanding Arkansas Car Seat Laws 2023: A Guide To Keeping Your Child Safe On The Road

Regardless of age, everyone should always buckle up and use the appropriate restraint device whenever they are in a vehicle. This commitment to restraint device usage is essential for the safety of all occupants and aligns with Arkansas car seat laws.

To ensure the safety of everyone on the road, it’s crucial to follow these Arkansas car seat laws and guidelines every time you drive, ride in, or transport a child in a car.

Keep Knowing The Official Arkansas Car Seat Laws

Properly securing children in age-appropriate child passenger restraint systems, such as car seats, is essential. The Arkansas car seat laws are in place to protect lives and reduce the risk of injuries in the event of a car accident. 

According to the 2010 Arkansas Code (Title 27- Transportation),

“Every driver who transports a child under fifteen (15) years of age in a passenger automobile…shall provide while the motor vehicle is in motion and operated on a public road, street, or highway of this state for the protection of the child by properly placing, maintaining, and securing the child in a child passenger restraint system…and meeting applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards in effect on January 1, 1995.”

–Chapter 34, Child Passenger Protection Act. § 27-34-104

The key provisions of this section include:

Age Restriction: The law applies to children under the age of fifteen (15) years in Arkansas.

Vehicle Type: The requirement covers passenger automobiles, vans, and pickup trucks that are not operated for hire.

Child Passenger Restraint System: Drivers in Arkansas must properly maintain and secure their child in a child passenger restraint system. This includes using a car or booster seat appropriate for the child’s age, weight, and height.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards: The child passenger restraint system must meet applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards that were in effect on January 1, 1995. These standards ensure that the restraint system provides adequate protection for the child.

Rear-Facing Car Seat Laws In Arkansas 

The car seat laws in Arkansas state that infants should ride in rear-facing car seats from their first car trip home from the hospital, which is a crucial element of child passenger safety. 

Most convertible car seats, as per manufacturer’s guidelines, allow children to remain rear-facing until they reach the seat’s weight or height limits, which are typically well beyond the age of one. 

Many experts recommend keeping children rear-facing until at least age 2, as this offers the highest level of protection.

Here are some key points to understand about rear-facing car seats for infants:

Protection for Newborns: Rear-facing car seats are recommended for infants because, in a rear-facing position, the seat distributes the forces of a crash across the baby’s entire body, reducing the risk of serious injury.

Ensure that the seat is securely fastened to the vehicle and that the harness is snug but not overly tight on the child.

Forward-facing Car Seat Laws In Arkansas 

Arkansas law mandates that children who are between the ages of 4 to 7 years old and weigh between 60-65 pounds are required to use forward-facing car seats. 

The forward-facing car seat for children in this category should have a 5-point harness. A 5-point harness includes straps over both shoulders, across the hips, and between the legs, providing a secure and safe restraint system for the child.

For the safety of the child, the straps of the 5-point harness should be properly buckled, and the child should be snugly secured within the seat. Specifically, there should be little to no space between the straps and the child’s shoulders. 

Understanding Arkansas Booster Seat Regulations: Child Passenger Safety First 

It’s crucial to emphasize child safety in vehicles, and the guidance from the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division aligns with best practices for ensuring that children are adequately secured and protected while traveling in vehicles. 

In Arkansas, children under the age of 6 and weighing less than 60 pounds must be secured in an appropriate child safety seat. 

This often means using a booster seat for children who have outgrown their forward-facing car seats but are not yet large enough for seat belts alone.

Additionally, the Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Division recommends keeping children in booster seats until they reach the age of 8 or attain a height of 57 inches. 

A booster seat ensures that the vehicle’s shoulder belt rests across the child’s shoulder and chest rather than cutting into their neck or face. 

This positioning is crucial for adequately distributing crash forces in the event of an accident. 

The booster seat also helps position the lap belt low across the child’s hips and thighs rather than on their abdomen. This is important for preventing abdominal injuries during a collision. 

It helps keep the child’s head stable and reduces the risk of injury to the head and neck in case of sudden stops or crashes.

When Can My Child Ride In The Front Seat?

There may not be a specific law in Arkansas dictating when a child should sit in the front seat, but the general safety guidelines and best practices that pediatric experts recommend still need to be followed to ensure the safety of child passengers.

Even in the absence of a specific law, it’s typically considered safer for children under the age of 13 to ride in the back seat of a vehicle, primarily due to the potential dangers associated with airbag deployment in the front seat. 

Ensuring that children are properly restrained in accordance with their age, height, and weight and that they are seated in a manner that allows for the correct use of seat belts is crucial for their safety while traveling in a vehicle.

Parents and caregivers should continue to prioritize the safety of children and make informed decisions about where and how children are seated in vehicles based on safety guidelines and best practices, even if specific laws do not exist in their state.

Are There Any Upcoming Changes In Arkansas Car Seat Laws?

There are no such changes in Arkansas car seat laws. But In 2022, some new laws took effect, including changes to car seat requirements. 

In Assembly Bill 118, Children who are younger than eight years old and shorter than 57 inches are required to be in a child restraint system when traveling in a vehicle. 

Another meaningful change is that all children younger than two years old must be placed in a rear-facing car seat when traveling in the back seat of a vehicle. 

Rear-facing seats are generally considered safer for infants and young toddlers because they provide better protection for their head, neck, and spine during collisions.

FAQs for Arkansas car seat laws

1. Is There Any Law Regarding Leaving My Child In The Car In Arkansas? 

No, Arkansas has no specific law addressing children left unattended in cars, but the issue may still be covered under broader child endangerment laws or regulations. 

In many states, actions that put a child’s safety at risk can be subject to legal consequences under child endangerment or neglect statutes. 

2. Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car with a Child in Arkansas?

The Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006 stated in ACT 13 that,

“Act 13 protects young children from secondhand smoke by making it a primary offense for persons to smoke in vehicles where children in car seats are also present.” – ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

3. Is there any taxi car seat law in Arkansas?

Arkansas taxis are exempt from the state’s car seat regulations, which generally require children younger than 6 years old and weighing less than 60 pounds to be secured in a car seat. 

This exemption means that, legally, taxis in Arkansas are not required to provide or use car seats for child passengers.

Conclusion

Car seat laws, like those in Arkansas, may evolve over time to align with the latest safety standards and best practices. 

It’s crucial for parents to stay informed about any updates or changes to these laws, as they improve child safety and reduce the risks associated with traveling in vehicles. 

Regularly checking for updates ensures that children receive the highest level of protection while on the road.

More Resources on Car Seat Laws

California Car Seat Laws 
Ohio Car Seat Laws
New York Car Seat Laws
Wisconsin Car Seat Laws
Virginia Car Seat Laws
Arizona Car Seat Laws 
Michigan Car Seat Laws 
Missouri Car Seat Laws 
Indiana Car Seat Laws 
Maine Car Seat Laws
Louisiana’s Car Seat Laws
NJ (New Jersey) Car Seat Law 
North Carolina Car Seat Laws
Texas Car Seat Laws
Kentucky Car Seat Laws
South Carolina Car Seat Laws
CT (Connecticut) Car Seat Laws 
Washington State Car Seat Laws