Car Seat Safety
The Importance of Car/Booster Seats
The Madison Fire Department no longer hosts car seat checks at its fire stations.
To schedule an appointment to check the safety of your car seat, please email safekids@uwhealth.org or text/call 608-333-6087. Car seat checks are provided by the Safe Kids Madison Area Coalition. Appointments are offered weekly and are ongoing.
Children must be properly restrained in a child safety seat until they reach age 4, and in a booster seat until age 8.
Older children have a higher rate of injury than younger ones for several reasons. Many of them place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. They tend to ride out of position, either sliding forward to the edge of the vehicle seat or slouching downward.
Exemptions:
- Children whose body-size, physical condition, or medical condition makes safety restraints unreasonable are still exempt from the booster seat and safety belt laws.
- There is no longer a “personal needs” exemption allowing the child to be removed from a safety restraint to attend to the child’s personal needs, such as feeding or diapering, while the vehicle is moving.