Safe driving and emergencies
A child is under 2 years old, weighs less than 40 pounds, and is shorter than 3 feet 4 inches. How must the child ride in your vehicle?
- In a rear-facing child passenger restraint system, and not in the front seat of a vehicle with airbags. Correct answer
- In a forward-facing safety seat in the back seat.
- With a regular seat belt, as long as the child is in the back seat.
Why
California sets its child-restraint rules by age, weight and height. A child who is under 2, under 40 pounds and under 3 feet 4 inches must ride rear-facing, and a rear-facing seat may not go in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an airbag. Children under 8 or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches ride in a child passenger restraint system in the rear seat, with a short list of exceptions such as a vehicle with no rear seat. Only from age 8, or once the child reaches 4 feet 9 inches, may a properly secured seat belt be used. Forward-facing seats and plain seat belts are therefore for older or bigger children, not for a toddler. Your local fire department or law enforcement agency can check how the seat is fitted.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is In a rear-facing child passenger restraint system, and not in the front seat of a vehicle with airbags.
The rule behind this one
Safe driving and emergencies in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on safe driving and emergencies
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- You are 17 and hold a provisional license. When may you use a cell phone while driving?
- You have to run into a shop for a few minutes. Under what condition may you leave your five-year-old in the car?
- Your car stalls on a railroad crossing, a train is coming and the warning lights are flashing. Once you are out of the car, which way should you run?