Jeff Belzer’s Car Seat Clinic: New Laws on August 1, 2024

Jeff Belzer’s held a Car Seat Clinic at our New Prague location in coordination with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office. This event was a great opportunity for families to ensure their little ones are traveling safely. Minnesota updated their car seat laws on August 1, 2024, and there was a lot that changed. Let’s talk about the updates and what a car seat clinic entails.

What Laws Changed? 

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has provided a helpful graphic for you to keep track of the changes. Find one by navigating to their website to print off yourself. Otherwise, read below for the updates. The type of car seat will be outlined next to the age / size. 

• Birth to at least 2 years old: Rear-facing in an infant or convertible child safety seat 

• At least 2 years old AND had outgrown the rear-facing seat with internal harness by height or weight: Forward-facing with an internal harness 

• 4 years old AND has outgrown the forward-facing seat with internal harness by height or weight: Ride restrained in a belt-positioning booster seat using the lap belt and shoulder belt 

• 9 years old or has outgrown the booster seat AND the child can pass the 5-step test: Ride restrained with a lap belt and shoulder belt secured correctly on the vehicle seat 

• A child under age 13, must sit in a back seat, if possible 

You are probably asking what the 5-step test is. It ensures that a child is ready to ride without a booster seat by providing guidelines as to how the seat belt should fit. Let’s break it down step-by-step.  

1. The child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat. 
2. The child’s knees bend over the edge of the vehicle seat. 
3. The lap belt fits sungly across the hips near the top of the child’s thighs, not the child’s abdomen. 
4. The shoulder belt sungy crosses the center of the child’s chest and shoulder, not the child’s neck. 
5. The child sits correctly, without slouching, for the duration of the ride. 

What is a Car Seat Clinic? 

During a Car Seat Clinic, you will receive expert advice, a thorough inspection of your car seats, and hands-on training for car seat installations. Did you know that 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly? It makes these lessons all the more important to ensure your precious cargo is riding safely. Jeff Belzer’s provided snacks for the kiddos and activities, so that you could focus on the session. We want to give a huge thank-you to Deputy Weckman with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for offering their time and resources for this clinic. Your knowledge and expertise was appreciated by us and the families!  

Thank you to everyone who joined our Car Seat Clinic, held at Jeff Belzer’s New Prague! It was a day of learning and education regarding the new laws and a great opportunity to get a lesson from experts on how to properly install a car seat. We are proud to play a role in making a positive impact on child safety, and look forward to hosting more Car Seat Clinics in the future! Learn about the ways that Jeff Belzer’s gives back to its community.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.