At what age can a child legally remain unattended in a vehicle?

At what age can a child legally remain unattended in a vehicle?

Stephanie Tombrello (Child Passenger Safety Educator & Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe USA) gives expert video advice on: What are the basic car safety rules that every child should learn?; How can I keep my child from misbehaving in the car while I drive?; Can my vehicle's sunroof or power windows injure my child? and more...

The age at which a child can stay in a vehicle alone on a legal basis varies in our country from state to state. However, in some states, it's age twelve. In other states it's lower than that, maybe age six. If you think about this from the terms of your child, some of these children who might legally be allowed to stay in the car are also of an age where they can get out the car and explore or search for you, so you really don't want them to be alone in the car. It's worth remembering that state laws represent a political compromise. Don't use them as the ceiling for safety but instead think of them as the floor. This is the basic minimum. In any situation, if a child is seen to be endangered, this does become a question from that standpoint, so you don't want to get involved in something like that.