A child aged 4 years must be in what type of seating arrangement?

In Wisconsin, as well as in many other states, safety regulations dictate that children must be seated in appropriate safety devices based on their age and weight to ensure maximum protection while traveling in a vehicle. For a 4-year-old child, the correct seating arrangement is a forward-facing car seat.

A forward-facing car seat is designed to provide safety for children who have outgrown their rear-facing seats but are still too small to safely use a booster seat. These seats typically have a five-point harness that secures the child in place, effectively distributing crash forces over the strongest parts of their body during a collision.

While booster seats are appropriate for older children who have outgrown forward-facing car seats, a 4-year-old is generally not ready for that transition, as they may not fit properly in a standard seat belt designed for adults or older children. The other options, including only being in the backseat or using a regular seatbelt, do not provide the same level of safety as a forward-facing car seat for a child of this age. It's crucial to adhere to these guidelines to enhance the safety of young passengers while on the road.