I’ll be going through seating laws for your children specifically, as they might even tag along on your trip, and we need to ensure that they are safe and that you don’t end up getting a ticket or end up getting in trouble with the law ruining your peaceful fun trip.
Car seat laws in New Mexico state that if a child is one year old and is below 35 pounds, they shall use a rear-facing seat.
Once they are over 40 pounds, they will be shifted to a front-face seat, and once they outgrow that and are near 60 pounds and over, they shall use a booster seat for their safety and convenience.
These rules are pretty straightforward, and they are very easy to learn.
You just need to go through this article, and you will be good to go for an amazing and safe trip with your loved ones.
Table of Contents
- 1 New Mexico Car Seat Requirements By Ages
- 2 Car Seat Weight And Height Requirements In New Mexico
- 3 Type Of Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
- 4 When Is The Time For My Child To Sit In The Front Seat In New Mexico?
- 5 What Happens If You Leave Your Child In A Car In New Mexico?
- 6 Taxi Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
- 7 New Mexico Law Regarding Car Seats In Accidents
- 8 Uber Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
- 9 Conclusion
New Mexico Car Seat Requirements By Ages
The rules apply to children under or over the age of 7 in New Mexico.
The law shall apply to them as long as they are less than 60 pounds.
The specific laws and requirements have been broken down for you below.
1 Year Old
If your child is one year old in New Mexico, they are supposed to be seated in a rear-facing seat, and their weight should be around 20 pounds.
The rear-facing seat is perfect for their age as it offers the best protection.
2 Year Old
A child of 2 years shall remain seated in the rear-facing seat until or unless their weight is 35 pounds or over.
3 Year Old
A 3 year old would be required to sit in the rear-facing seat as long as they are not over 35 pounds.
4 Year Old
Once a child is four and over 35 pounds or at least of that weight in New Mexico, they may shift to a front-facing seat that has been safety approved and comes equipped with a harness system to keep them secured.
5 Year Old
A 5-year-old shall also use a front-facing seat, as it is the best for them at the age bracket they are in. It shall keep them safe and provide a good transition to a booster seat.
6 Year Old
A 6-year-old shall also ride in a front-facing seat unless they are over the weight bracket of 40 pounds and have a height above 4 feet and 9 inches.
7 – 9 Year Old
A 7 years of age, your child is allowed to shift to a booster seat provided that they are over 40 pounds and near the height of 4 feet and 9 inches.
8 and 9 year olds in New Mexico shall follow the same principles.
10 Year Old
Ten-year-olds will also use the booster seat for their safety and convenience until they are over 4 feet and 9 inches and 70-80 pounds of weight.
Car Seat Weight And Height Requirements In New Mexico
Children have to be below 35 pounds of weight for a rear-facing seat.
They must be over 35 pounds of weight for a front-facing seat.
Once they are over 60 pounds, they are allowed to sit in the booster seat until or unless they are over 70-80 pounds and over 4 feet and 9 inches.
Generally, the New Mexico law states that regardless of whether your child is seven or older, they have to stay in a child safety seat while they are below 60 pounds.
Type Of Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
There are different types of laws related to different types of seats in New Mexico. I’ll be going through the below for an easier understanding.
1. Rear Facing Car Seat
These sorts of seats are to be used by children under 4, below 35 pounds. These are the safest ones out of the bunch, especially the safest for someone as young as a 1-year-old child.
These provide the perfect protection, absorb most of the crash and provide support to the neck, head, and spine.
2. Forward Facing Car Seat
These seats are used when your child exceeds 35 pounds and is over the age of at least 3-4. These sorts of seats will teach your child the basics of properly sitting in a car.
They will work as a transition from one seat to the other. And will also even have a harness system that will protect them if and when an unlikely event of any kind might happen.
3. Booster Seat
A booster seat is used when your child is around 60 pounds and near the height of 4 feet and 9 inches.
These sorts of seats are just meant to boost your child and give them a height advantage so that they can be seated securely and comfortably with a seat belt within the car.
They are not as secure as the previously discussed seats, but they are useful nonetheless.
When Is The Time For My Child To Sit In The Front Seat In New Mexico?
There is no age mentioned so far in the New Mexico law.
However, the best practice is supposed to be followed: a child should remain seated at the back until they are 13 or over, and then they may shift to the front seat.
This practice ensures their safety and allows them enough time to transition into the front seat easily.
What Happens If You Leave Your Child In A Car In New Mexico?
Children 11 years old or older can be left alone in the car in New Mexico.
However, you need to ensure that regardless of their age, they know how to contact you or handle a situation when something unexpected happens.
If you were to leave a child younger than 11 years old in the car and you were found guilty, you might get charged over risking the life of your child and will most probably be fined if the child is seen under stress or has somehow attracted an injury while you left them alone unsupervised the punishment and fine will increase accordingly.
Taxi Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
Though there are no mandatory laws regarding them providing a seat for the safety of your child in New Mexico, you should bring one yourself or get one beforehand about any sort of ticket or problem with the law enforcement.
Furthermore, bringing a seat will ensure the safety of your child.
That is why it is recommended that a parent should bring along a seat for their child based on the requirements of the young one. Or even based on the age, height, and weight stated.
New Mexico Law Regarding Car Seats In Accidents
The child should be protected from accidents if they follow the law and be placed in a rear-facing seat or a front-facing seat with a federally approved harness system that would ensure their protection during the case of an accident.
However, in New Mexico the law does not state who shall change or replace the seat in case it gets damaged.
Therefore, it is said to be the duty of the parent or guardian to make sure that they change the seat as soon as possible after a crash since the seat may have collected any sort of damage that could put its integrity at risk, along with the safety of your child.
Uber Car Seat Laws In New Mexico
When it comes to an Uber, you shall still have to follow the law and keep your child safe.
That is why you will most likely have to bring your seating for the child, depending on their age and requirements.
It’s not clear as to who shall provide the seat. However, you may check-in with the application and double-check if a car with a seating arrangement is available.
If not, you should arrange your child’s seat and bring it along for a safer ride.
Conclusion
Now that you are here, it means that you have thoroughly read through the article for the safety of your child and for the sake of obeying the law and having a comfortable and safe trip within New Mexico without worrying about problems with the law enforcement.
New Mexico car seat laws have only been created so that parents and guardians can follow the law so that they have their loved ones safe in the event of a crash or rash driving. It ensures that the child at hand is safe no matter what the occurrence.
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.
