Child Safety Seat Program

In 2008, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted a Child Passenger Safety Law that requires all children riding in passenger vehicles must be restrained in a federally approved child passenger restraint that is properly fastened and secured. Children are required to use the child passenger restraint until they are 8 years old or over 57” tall. Officer James Murphy recently graduated training to become a CPS Technician and is available to assist with Child Passenger Safety questions and proper seat installations. Please call the station and ask for Officer Murphy or leave a message. (508) 892-7010 ext 2074

Massachusetts Child Car Seat Law
Chapter 90 Section 7AA

A passenger in a motor vehicle on any way who is under the age of 8 shall be fastened and secured by a child passenger restraint, unless such passenger measures more than 57 inches in height. The child passenger restraint shall be properly fastened and secured according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Unless required to be properly fastened and secured by a child passenger restraint under the preceding paragraph, a passenger in a motor vehicle on any way that is under the age of 13 shall wear a safety belt which is properly adjusted and fastened according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to any such child who is: (1) riding as a passenger in a school bus; (2) riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle made before July first, nineteen hundred and sixty-six, that is not equipped with safety belts; (3) physically unable to use either a conventional child passenger restraint or a child restraint specifically designed for children with special needs; provided, however, that such condition is duly certified in writing by a physician who shall state the nature of the disability as well as the reasons such restraints are inappropriate; provided, further, that no such certifying physician shall be subject to liability in a civil action for the issuance of or for the failure to issue such certificate. An operator of a motor vehicle who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than twenty-five dollars; provided, however, that said twenty-five dollar fine shall not apply to an operator of a motor vehicle licensed as a taxi cab not equipped with a child passenger restraint device.

Child Passenger Restraint Seat Defined
Chapter 90 Section 1

“Child Passenger Restraint”, a specifically designed seating system which meets the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, as established in 49 C.F.R. 571.213, which is either permanently affixed to a motor vehicle or is affixed to such vehicle by a safety belt or a universal attachment system.

Additional Information

The Leicester Police Department and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division work in partnership with numerous other community based organizations to educate the public on the Child Passenger Safety Law and to successfully implement the law in our community. Please watch our webpage for announcements pertaining to the upcoming schedule for Child Passenger Safety Check Points. Throughout the year, the Leicester Police Department sponsors and participates in numerous “Child Safety Seat Checkpoints.” Checkpoints are an essential component of the educational program, as many car seats are not properly installed in vehicles which ultimately results in the child utilizing the seat not being properly restrained. At a checkpoint, Leicester Police Officer James Murphy and other certified technicians conduct inspections of car safety seats to ensure that they are properly installed. Officers also spend time with the parents or guardians who use the seat to educate them on the proper use of their child’s safety seat.

For more information, visit the Massachusetts State Website and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.