Ventura Police push car seat checks during Child Passenger Safety Week

The Ventura Police Department is urging parents and caregivers to make sure their children are riding safely by using the correct car seats, booster seats, and properly fitted seat belts during Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs Sept. 20-26, 2026.

The statistics. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of car seats, 46%, are misused. Properly installed car seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury crashes by 71% for infants under a year old and by 54% for toddlers ages one through four, the department said in its Sept. 18 news release.

Current law. California law requires all children under two years old to ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless the child is 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Once a child reaches these milestones, all children under the age of eight are still required to be secured in a car seat or booster seat, in the back seat. Children eight years and older, or who are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt.

New law coming. As of Jan. 1, 2027, Assembly Bill 435 will require children ages 8 to 16 to pass all steps of the Five-Step Test before they can safely use a seat belt without a booster seat. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to keep children in the proper rear or forward-facing seat as long as possible and use the Five-Step Test as a guide before the law takes effect.

VPD statement. 'When it comes to protecting our youngest passengers, there is no room for guesswork,' said Corporal Keith Therrien. 'Child Passenger Safety Week is a good reminder of how critical it is to choose the right car seat and ensure it is installed properly.'

More information. Visit www.gosafelyca.org for more traffic safety information.