Child Safety Seats

The Randolph Township Police Department has several trained certified child safety seat technicians on staff who now lend their expertise to an outside agency that sponsors car seat inspections.

Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities offers free child safety seat inspections at two locations where a certified child safety seat technician will check the installation of your child seat. If it is not installed correctly, the technician will make the necessary corrections and show you how to do it. The locations and hours for these facilities are as follows:

Atlantic Health Ambulance Building
120 Dorsa Avenue in Livingston
Wednesdays from 9 am to 2:30 pm
June, July, August 9 am to 1 pm
Phone: 973-971-6477

Chester First Aid Squad
100 North Road in Chester
1st Tuesday of the month, 2 to 6 pm
3rd Thursday. of the month, 7 am to noon
Phone: 908-879-5560

Please contact the Randolph Police Department at 973-989-7000 (prompt "0") to schedule a child seat installation.

New Jersey's Child Passenger Safety Law

  • Birth to age 2: A child under the age of 2 and weighing less than 30 pounds must be in a rear-facing car seat with a 5 point harness. The car seat must be in a rear seat of the vehicle.
  • Ages 2 to 4: A child age 2 through 4 and weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in a seat with a 5 point harness, either rear-facing (up to height and weight limits of the particular seat) or forward-facing in the rear seat of the vehicle.
  • Ages 4 to 8: A child age 4 through 8 and less than 57 inches in height must be seated in either a car seat with a 5 point harness or a booster seat, also in the rear seat of the vehicle.
  • Age 8 and above: A child age 8 and older must wear a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt.

If there are no rear seats, the child must be secured in the appropriate car seat or booster for their age, weight and height in the front passenger seat. If the child is in a rear-facing car seat, the passenger side airbag must be turned off.

Please make sure that children are properly protected while traveling in a motor vehicle. Only the correct use of child car seats will offer the protection your child needs. There are many different types of child car seats on the market today. Each one must meet federal standards and all provide good protection for your child when used correctly. The "right" seat for you is largely a matter of personal choice. Choose a seat that fits your child and your car, read the instructions carefully, and use the seat correctly on every trip.

Types of Child Safety Seats

  • Infant seats: Designed for children up to 1 year old and, usually 30 pounds in weight. Infant seats are always positioned rear-facing.
  • Forward-facing seats: Designed for children between 30 and 60 pounds. Check child seat manuals for specific weight restrictions.
  • Booster seats: Designed for children between 40 and up to 80 pounds. Booster seats raise a child so the vehicle's lap-and-shoulder belt fits properly and allow the knees to bend.

Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,168 children ages 14 years and younger died in motor vehicle crashes in 2012 and approximately 169,000 were injured.

That's an average of 3 deaths and 462 injuries each day.

40% of those who died were unrestrained.