February 17, 2015
The State of Florida House Bill 225, Child Safety Devices in Motor Vehicles, signed into law June 2014 by Governor Rick Scott, became effective January 1, 2015, and specifies the following changes:
- Allows the use of a child booster seat as an approved child restraint device for use when transporting children four and five years of age in a motor vehicle
- Removes a provision allowing a seat belt to be used in lieu of a specialized device
The amended law exempts the use of the safety car seat device when the following circumstances exist:
- The motor vehicle operator is not a member of the child’s immediate family and the child is being transported gratuitously
In the case of an emergency, or when a medical condition necessitates an exception as evidenced by appropriate documentation from a health professional.