• Different child vehicle laws exist in various states.children image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Each state has the task of creating and maintaining child vehicle laws that protect the minors who live in those areas. The majority of areas have legal requirements that relate to seat belts and safety seats for children. However, different areas also have their own stance on safety issues that affect children such as flatbed vehicle transportation and children who travel next to the driver of the vehicle.
  
  

Secure Vehicle Seats

• The usage of safety seats for minors below a certain age is mandatory in every area. However, the legal specifics of each law differ depending on where you reside. For instance, if you live in the state of Virginia, state law requires kids below the age of eight to sit in a secure seat for children. While certain states such as Texas give exemption to taller kids who measure at least four feet ten inches, as opposed to the age-based law in Virginia. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state to determine the legal requirements where you live.
  
  

Larger Vehicle Law

• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety determines if children who want to ride in the back of a pickup or flatbed truck have this right. Though most areas do not allow children to ride a vehicle in this manner, other states such as Idaho allow kids to ride on the rear portion of unenclosed trucks.
  
  

Front Seat Legislation

• Certain state legislation restricts kids from riding in the front portion of a vehicle. While Colorado lets kids who are 12 months or older and weigh more than 20 pounds ride in the front of the vehicle, other states have more stringent laws where only 5 year olds have this privilege such as Georgia. In some cases, children in convertible booster seats can sit in the front seat in a backward-facing fashion. Nonetheless, the Department of Motor Vehicles advises putting children in the backseat to avoid major injury should an accident take place.