When you compare the state of Arkansas to the others in the United States, you will see that it has nearly double the number of mortalities for children, which is why they had to double down on these laws and rules.
Car seat laws in Arkansas, require that children below 20 pounds use a rear facing car seat and move to a front facing one once they cross this weight.
Eventually, they will exceed the weight limit of the car seat upon which, you are required to buy a booster seat.
The child can start to use the seat belts and stop using the booster seat once they are 4 feet and 9 inches tall.
If you do not know these rules and regulations, then make sure to read this article as I will be going over them and any other rules related to children in cars.
This will help ensure your child is always protected while in a car.
Table of Contents
- 1 Arkansas Car Seat Requirements By Ages
- 2 Car Seat Weight And Height Requirements In Arkansas
- 3 Type Of Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
- 4 When Is The Time For My Child To Sit In The Front Seat In Arkansas?
- 5 What Happens If You Leave Your Child In A Car In Arkansas?
- 6 Taxi Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
- 7 Arkansas Law Regarding Car Seats In Accidents
- 8 Uber Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
- 9 Conclusion
Arkansas Car Seat Requirements By Ages
As mentioned above, there are three main phases of children set by the state of Arkansas.
However, these ages encompass various ages, which can transition from one phase to another, as you will see in this segment of the article.
1 Year Old
It is required by state law that all children that fall under the age of 2 must be seated in the back seat regardless of weight.
They must also use a rear-facing car seat, and they will use this for the next few years.
2 Year Old
Two-year-old children have the same set of rules applied to them as well.
They will be restricted to using a rear-facing car seat and have to sit in the car’s back seat. All of this has been highlighted by the Child Passenger Protection Act.
3 Year Old
Once your child hits the age of three, they can be placed in the car’s front seat.
Unfortunately, this does not excuse them from using the rear-facing car seat, and they will have to continue using that for the next year.
4 Year Old
When the child reaches the age of 4, the state only allows them to use a forward-facing car seat. This must weigh at least 60 to 65 pounds and come with a harness system.
5 Year Old
At this point, despite how much they might have grown, even at five years old, they have to use a forward-facing car seat that must come with all the above features.
6 Year Old
While most six-year-olds will also have to endure the front-facing car seat for another year, the state of Arkansas has exempted six-year-olds who weigh 60 pounds or more they can use booster seats.
7 – 9 Year Old
Between the ages of 7 and 9, the state completely allows children to transition from front-facing car seats to booster seats which they have to use until they reach the proper height of 4 feet and 9 inches.
10 Year Old
By ten years old, the children must have enough height to cross the state’s limit state, which remains at 4 feet and 9 inches.
If your child crosses this threshold, they can stop using booster seats and use the car’s seat belt.
Car Seat Weight And Height Requirements In Arkansas
In this part of the article, I will talk about the specifics of the height and weight requirements that the state of Arkansas has imposed on the children.
If your child weighs less than 20 pounds, they are legally required to be kept in a rear-facing car seat when they are in a car.
If your child is around four years and is at least 40 pounds, they can start using the front-facing booster seats.
When it comes to height, the child must be below 4 and 9 inches tall to stop using a front-facing car seat and switch to a booster seat.
If they grow taller than this height, then they can use a seat belt as normal adults do.
Type Of Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
The state of Arkansas has various sets of rules that apply to these three car seat types, so read this part closely to learn all of these intricate details.
1. Rear Facing Car Seat
This seat should always be in the car’s back seat, and the seat itself should be positioned at a 45-degree angle.
It cannot be used in the front seat with an airbag and should have all harness straps straight.
2. Forward Facing Car Seat
These should have their chest clip positioned around armpit level. The seat should have a harness system, and the harness straps must be comfortable for the child.
These straps should also not allow two fingers between themselves and the child’s collarbone.
3. Booster Seat
Booster seats must be used in tandem with a lap belt and a shoulder belt.
Any safety belt you use should be comfortable across the child’s body, and the strap should never be behind the child’s back or under arms.
When Is The Time For My Child To Sit In The Front Seat In Arkansas?
While the state of Arkansas has not provided a proper time frame for when your child can sit in the front seat of the car, it has restricted them from seating in the front seat of the car at a certain age.
If your child is an infant using a rear-facing seat, meaning they are two years or younger, they cannot be allowed to use the front seat of the car.
What Happens If You Leave Your Child In A Car In Arkansas?
You should know the risks of leaving a child alone and unsupervised in a motor vehicle which is why you should try and avoid it whenever you can.
While many other states have set up policies and punishments for people who leave their children alone in a car, the state has no rules that condemn or prevent this from happening.
While it is not illegal by the state as of writing this article, you should not leave your children alone in the car.
Taxi Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
The laws set by the state of Arkansas do not have any legal requirement for you to use a booster seat when you and your child are traveling in a taxi.
This means that you can simply travel with them in your lap. However, a law states that if you have your booster seat, the taxi is legally obligated to wait for you.
To ensure you don’t make the taxi wait too long, you should invest in a booster seat that is quick to install.
Arkansas Law Regarding Car Seats In Accidents
Currently, there are no legal requirements or laws regarding your car seats in the event of an accident.
While you can easily make the responsible party pay for damages, from a legal standpoint, they are not required to do so unless you take the matter to court.
If you decide not to pursue legal action, you should at least get a new car seat, as they are not built to handle excess crashing and usually give out after a single crash.
Extremely durable ones can last for two crashes, but even that is stretching it.
Uber Car Seat Laws In Arkansas
This will probably not come as a shock, but the rules which the state has applied to taxis also apply to Uber.
You can easily skip the process of setting up a seat and placing your child inside, and it will be completely legal.
If you have a booster seat, you should, however, take out the time and set it up so that you can ensure the safety of the child.
Conclusion
Seeing the massive child mortality rate that exists in the state of Arkansas, it is easy to understand why Arkansas car seat laws exist, and it should be known that every day these rules and regulations stay active requirements in society; hundreds of children are given the protection they need and deserve.
As a responsible parent, it is your job to make sure that your child is always kept safe while you drive a car.
Hopefully, you should be able to do this now since you have successfully read this article and learned all there is to the rules and laws set by the state of Arkansas on car seats.
I am Tahir Azam, and I have been writing amazing articles for TaxiHack for as long as I can remember. I know everything that is to know when it comes to automobiles and is always on top of industry news and developments. While I am not an expert by any means, I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of many different problems and, of course, their solutions. The articles on our website are some of the best and well-researched content that you will find, and I spend countless hours making sure this remains to be true. This is why I ask you to take your time out and read some of my articles, especially if you find a topic that resonates with you or is something you are looking into. This way, you will find the perfect mix of information and tips on your desired topic. Learn more about Tahir.
