New car seat requirements aim to keep kids safe in Colorado
News Release
Nueva regulaciones buscan mantener seguros a los niños en los vehículos de Colorado en español
Media kit is available for download by emailing [email protected].
Statewide — Car crashes remain one of the leading causes of death and injury for children, and in 2024, 74.8% of car seats in Colorado were installed or used incorrectly. As September marks Child Passenger Safety Month, Car Seats Colorado, WeeCycle and AAA partnered to bring free car seat checks to families across metro Denver to help keep infants, toddlers and children of all ages safe in cars.
Today’s event, hosted at Central Park Recreation Center, aimed to make car seat safety checks more accessible. The technicians on site ensured car seats were installed correctly, adjusted to fit each child and used in accordance with state laws. Rather than asking parents and caregivers to visit an inspection station, this event brought the experts to them.
“According to safety data, correctly using a car or booster seat can mean the difference between life and death for children in a crash,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. "No parent wants to get it wrong, but many simply don’t know what is required. We are committed to making sure caregivers have the knowledge and tools to protect their children every time they are traveling on the road.”
Several updates to Colorado’s child passenger safety laws went into effect earlier this year. Key changes include raising the age requirement for mandatory use of a car seat or booster from 8 to 9 years old and requiring children to remain in rear-facing car seats until they are 2 years old. The law also now requires children to be properly restrained in a seat belt until they are 18, a change from the previous requirement of 16.
“We owe it to our kids to do everything we can to protect them — and that starts with installing and using their car seats correctly,” said Trooper Kent Trimbach, program coordinator for Car Seats Colorado. “Car seats, boosters and seat belts save lives, but only when used the right way. Babies and toddlers are entirely dependent on adults for proper restraint, so it’s up to parents and caregivers to make sure they’re as safe as possible every time they’re in a car.”
Colorado law also states that children under 9 years old must ride in the back seat of a vehicle in a car seat or booster seat. Failing to follow any of these laws is a primary violation, meaning that drivers can be pulled over and ticketed if a law enforcement officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child in their vehicle.
These changes now align Colorado’s laws with the latest research and recommendations on child passenger safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), booster seats reduce the risk of serious injury among older children by 45% compared to seat belts alone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also highlights that child restraints decrease fatalities by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger vehicles.
Car Seats Colorado emphasizes that car seats, booster seats and seat belts are designed to protect children based on their size, not their age. One of the most common mistakes caregivers make is moving a child to a seat belt too soon or using a car seat that doesn't match their size or stage of development. A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs — not the stomach — and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of the shoulder and chest.
Since children cannot recognize when a seat belt or car seat doesn’t fit them right, it’s up to parents and caregivers to ensure proper fit and installation by reading their vehicle owner’s manual, car seat manual and staying familiar with current child passenger safety laws.
During the 2025 Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign, 368 citations were issued to drivers for having an improperly restrained child. Factors contributing to improperly restrained children include:
- An incorrectly installed car seat
- Use of a car seat that does not fit the child based on their size and development
- Not properly securing the harness or seat belt
- Moving a child out of a booster seat too soon
Parents can visit CarSeatsColorado.com to locate a nearby car seat inspection station, register their car seat and learn how to properly install their car seat or booster seat. If you can’t afford a car seat for your child(ren), WeeCycle, Children’s Hospital Colorado and SafeKids Colorado Springs have programs through which families can get a free or low-cost car seat. Visit their websites for more information.
About Car Seats Colorado
Car Seats Colorado is a joint effort of the Colorado State Patrol, CDOT, local car seat technicians, law enforcement, emergency services and other professionals who are dedicated to implementing child passenger safety programs and encouraging parents to take the necessary steps to protect their children when in vehicles. Learn more about how to keep children safe in vehicles and download informational resources at CarSeatsColorado.com.
Note to reporters: Crashes are no accident — they are preventable. We would appreciate you saying 'crash' instead of 'accident' when reporting.
