Headed out for a drive with the kids? Here are some child safety laws to know in California

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The road is a dangerous place, especially for children in vehicles.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt on Wednesday stopped by the FOX 5 studio to discuss child safety traffic laws as kids head back to school.

All children under the age of eight must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat, according to California state law.

For children under the age of two, they need to be in a rear-facing car seat secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the car seat's manufacturer, California law states. However, this doesn't apply to children under the age of two who weigh 40 or more pounds or are 40 or more inches tall.

"You don't want the seatbelt to be around the child's neck, you want them to be secure in that seat," Bettencourt said. "And also parents need to use that parental discretion to really if their child is on the smaller side, to ensure that maybe they need to stay in that seat a little longer."

Bettencourt explained that children must be in rear-facing position until they are two years old or up to 40 pound...