Coverage gaps in child-restraint and seat-belt laws affecting children

Although most U.S. states have enacted mandatory-seat-belt-use laws and all states have child-restraint laws requiring children under specified ages to be properly restrained in vehicles, some children are covered by neither law. Other children are covered only by belt-use laws that do not make any adult responsible for their compliance. This note analyzes the child-restraint and belt-use laws in each state and demonstrates the deficiencies in coverage as they apply to children younger than age 16.