New child passenger safety law goes into effect

HELENA — On Wednesday, a new Montana law went into effect, updating the state’s child passenger safety law.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , proper use of a child car seat can reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.

House Bill 586 , which was passed by the legislature earlier this year, mandates the type of restraint a parent or caregiver must place on a child while in a motor vehicle.

Under the new law:

A child under 2 years must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat that complies with federal safety standards.

Children aged 2 to 4 must be in a rear-facing or forward-facing child safety seat with an internal harness.

Children aged 4 to 8 need to be in a forward-facing child safety se