The woman was cited for a seat belt violation after a police officer discovered during a routine traffic stop that she had removed her toddler from a car seat to make room for a gas can. The photo showed the gas can was secured by the seat belt meant for the young child, while the woman and her two children were not wearing seat belts. Per state law, children under seven must be in an approved child seat, and endangering the welfare of a child is a misdemeanor. Not properly securing a child is putting the child in danger.

1. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
“A Colorado woman was cited for a seat belt violation when the police officer who pulled her over during a routine
traffic stop discovered she had removed her child from a car seat to make room for a gas can.
The unidentified female driver was stopped after making an improper turn in Aurora, Colo., on May 30. The woman
and her two children—a 14-year-old and the toddler—were not wearing seat belts. But a photo of the back seat
taken by the officer for the Aurora Police Department's "Click It or Ticket" campaign shows the gas can was secured
with the seat belt meant for the young child.”
Per Fort Drum Regulation 190-2, CH 4-16 Fort Drum Traffic Code:
“Children under the age of seven, with certain exceptions, must be in a „specifically designed detachable
or removable seat‟ which meets the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards.”
Per New York State Penal Law 260.10, Endangering the Welfare of a
Child:
It is a Class A Misdemeanor for a parent, legal guardian or any persons temporarily in legal custody to
“act in a manner likely injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than seventeen
years old.”
A Child not properly secured is a Child in Danger