New York Car Seat Laws Are Changing: Here's What You Need to Know

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed a law that requires children younger than 2 to ride in a rear-facing car seat as a safety measure. Until now there has been no age requirement tied to rear-facing car seats in New York.

The new car seat law will take effect on Nov. 1, 2019, which gives parents and drivers plenty of time to learn about the important change and plan accordingly.

“A rear-facing car seat law will help prevent injuries," John Corlett, legislative chairman for AAA of New York, said in a statement. "Young children are safer in rear-facing car seats, and prior child passenger safety laws have reduced injuries among targeted populations. In New York, a 1-year-old child is injured in a traffic crash once a day, on average.”

The legislation states that driving accidents are one of the major causes of death in young children and that injuries and death can be prevented if a child rides rear-facing for a longer period of time. Rear-facing car seats provide more support to a child's head and neck and similar laws have been passed in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.