Changes to Oklahoma’s car seat laws go into effect in a couple weeks.
The legislation requires a child under the age of 2 to be secured in a rear-facing car seat. It was signed into law in June by Gov. Mary Fallin and takes effect Nov. 1.
The law also requires children between 4 and 8 or a child shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches to be properly secured in an appropriate child-restraint system.
Jenny Rollins with Safe Kids Tulsa said seat belts meant for adults can be dangerous for kids.
"The lap portion of the belt sits up on their stomach, where we have a lot of internal organs," Rollins said. "The shoulder belt often hits them in the neck, and they will put the seatbelt underneath their arm or behind their back."
Daniel Karnes with AAA Oklahoma said with the new law, it’s a good idea to find some help putting that car seat in the right way.
"The reality is that three out of four car seats are improperly installed, so find a technician. Find an event that you can have a car seat properly installed," Karnes said.
Certified car seat technicians go through 24 hours of training. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. and Safe Kids Worldwide have tools to help find an event or technician on their websites.
In 2012, Oklahoma had the nation’s eighth-highest crash fatality rate for 4- to 8-year-olds.
Advocates say the new legislation will take Oklahoma from having one of the weakest child passenger restraint laws in the country to one of the strongest.
Highway Patrol Trooper Dwight Durant said don’t expect any leniency if your child isn’t properly buckled in.
"Some of us will write more speeding tickets than others, some will write warnings for following too close," Durant said. "This law is one that's universal across the state. I know of no one in 18 years that has ever written a warning for an unrestrained child in a car."
Durant said even though the ticket carries a $50 fine, court costs and other fees make the actual cost almost $235.
