Which of the following statements about child restraints is true?

• A. It is permissible to remove a child restraint if the child is wearing a seat belt.
• B. Booster seats are optional for children under 12.
• C. Children under 8 must ride in the front seat with a seat belt.
• D. Children under 8 must be secured in a child restraint system unless they are tall enough to use a seat belt properly.

Answer: (D)

Child passenger safety hinges on using the right restraint until a child can fit a seat belt properly. In New York, a child under eight must be secured in an appropriate child restraint system (like a car seat or booster) unless they are tall enough to use a seat belt properly. Once they reach that height—typically tall enough to fit the seat belt correctly without riding up over the neck or riding too low on the abdomen—the seat belt alone is acceptable.

A booster seat is a form of child restraint, so insisting that children under eight be restrained is still enforcing the need for proper protection; the rule is about not skipping that restraint until the belt fits properly. The other statements conflict with this requirement: you can’t remove a child restraint simply because the child is wearing a seat belt; booster seats aren’t optional for children who aren’t tall enough, and the rule isn’t that children under eight must ride in the front seat with only a seat belt.