Dr. Lovette, Delta Health Pediatrics
There have been recent changes to the new Colorado car seat regulations. These laws were enacted to align with the latest research-based recommendations on car seats, booster seats, and seatbelt use for children, so even if you live outside Colorado and these may not be law, they are best practices for how you transport your child in your car. These laws became effective on January 1 of 2025 in Colorado.
The old law for rear-facing car seats was that the child was under 1 yr of age and under 20 pounds and the car seat must be in the back seat. The law as of January 1, 2025, now states the child under 2 years of age and less than 40 pounds must be rear-facing in a back seat. They have to meet both of these criteria. I’ll talk about what the law is if they don’t. If you want to keep your child rear-facing for even longer and the car seat supports it, that is fine.
Forward Facing Seats
For forward-facing seats, the old law was that the child had to be over 1 year of age and over 20 pounds. The new law states that children under 2 but over 40 pounds, or 2-4 years of age and at least 20 pounds can sit forward facing. The car seat must still be in the back seat if there is one.
Booster Seats
For booster seats, the old law was that the child needed to be at least 4 years of age and over 40 pounds. The new law states that children 4-9 years and over 40 pounds (and older if the family wants) must use a booster seat, and again, it must be placed in the back seat if there is one.
That is the gist of the new laws and these are based on the research which shows that restraining your child in the car based on these requirements is the best way to keep them safe in an accident. I’m including a link to this information if you want to research more.
https://www.codot.gov/safety/carseats/colorado-child-passenger-safety-law-1
For more information, contact Delta Health Pediatrics at 970.546.4000 or visit deltahealthco.org/delta-health-pediatrics/. Delta Health Pediatrics has walk-in appointments available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. as well as same-day appointments available Monday through Friday. Please call the clinic to schedule an appointment.
More tips, articles and videos from Dr. Lovette can also be found online by joining the Healthy Kids Western Slope Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/healthykidswesternslope/.