On November 1, 2019, a new law went into effect in New York that requires parents to keep infants and young toddlers in rear-facing child safety seats until they are at least 2 years old or until they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat being used. 
 
Since November, the New York State Police have been working to educate the public on the new law. 
“The biggest and probably only change is if you have a rear-facing safety seat, your child now needs to remain rear-facing until age 2, rather than age 1 as in the past,” says New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan, Troop A public information officer. “So your child needs to be rear-facing and after age 2, they can flip around, unless they reach the maximum height and weight sooner.” 
 
The new law is aimed at preventing premature graduation to forward-facing seats and follows updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics meant to protect the very vulnerable and still developing head, neck and back of young children. 
 
New York State data demonstrates the need for parents to obey the new law. From 2011 to 2015, 1,896 1-year-olds were seriously injured in car crashes, with 25 percent in no restraint at all. 
 
Tragically, 69 1-year-olds died in crashes during the same time frame, one-third in no restraint. “When we are at a traffic stop or checkpoint, what we deal with is the child who has no seat at all,” says Trooper O’Callaghan. “It’s one extreme or the other. Either they have everything, or they have no seat at all.” 
 
From 2014 to 2017, police in New York issued more than 27,000 tickets for child seat violations, which includes a fine and three points on your license for each child in the vehicle not in a proper child safety seat.
 
Because many parents never bother to read safety seat instructions, many seats are improperly installed, compromising the safety of millions of infants and toddlers. From 2011 to 2015, 1,896 1-year-olds were seriously injured in car crashes, with 25% in no restraint at all. 
 
Parents in New York can arrange for a child safety seat technician to inspect their seat installation by going to Safeny.ny.gov/seat-per.htm