In February of 2006, the city of Oklahoma City tightened the laws regarding child safety-seats. Previously, only children 4 years of age and under were required to sit in a child seat while riding in a car. Now, however, Oklahoma City requires all children 6 years and under to be in a properly-used child passenger restraint system, either a car seat or a booster appropriate for the child's weight and height.
Here is an exception that only applies to children seated behind the driver in church vans and licensed child care facility vans along with some other important child safety tips from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:
- Exception: If the child seat requires a shoulder strap and the car does not have one, children over 40 pounds are allowed to not be in the child seat but must wear a lap belt.
- All children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.
- Young children (from birth to 1 year) should face the rear in their car seats.
- Children (from 1 to 4 years of age) should face the front in their car seats.
- Children (from 4 to 8 years of age and shorter than 4'9") should face forward in a booster seat.
