Children younger than four must not ride in the front seat of a vehicle, after a change was made to Michigan's child passenger safety law Friday, June 26. The law was put into effect immediately.

Under the newly revised law, children younger than four must ride in a car seat in the rear seat of the vehicle, if the vehicle has a back seat. If all available rear seats are occupied by children younger than four, then a child younger than four may ride in the front seat if properly restrained in a car seat. If the child is in a rear-facing car seat, he may be placed in the front seat only if the front passenger air bag is turned off and all rear seats are occupied by children younger than four.

The legislation also now prohibits removing a child from a car seat to nurse while the vehicle is in motion. Nursing mothers are advised to stop the vehicle in a safe place before nursing. With this change, Michigan is now eligible for additional federal traffic safety funds.

Car seat legislation was expanded last year to require children to ride in a car seat or booster seat until they reach 8 years old or 4'9," whichever comes first.

The rear seating requirement follows research that has long found that the safest place for children is in the back seat. Children are 40% more likely to be injured when in the front seat compared to children seated in the rear. Properly restrained children in the rear seat have the lowest risk of injury, according to the Partners for Child Passenger Safety.

Fifteen other states have similar legislation which requires children to be placed in the back seat of a vehicle.

The safest place for all children 12 and younger is in the back seat, and children up to age 16 must be restrained in all seating positions. Michigan law requires all drivers and front seat passengers to buckle up.

Public Act 57 of 2009 was signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm Friday, June 26.