Booster seats for 4 to 8 year olds recommended; law is pending
By Senator Claire Robling
December 14, 2004
If you’re going to be on the road during the holidays, you’re probably worried about potential poor road conditions. Busy, icy or snow-packed roads can be a real hazard. You have to be prepared to slow down and drive with caution.
You also need to protect yourself and your passengers by wearing seatbelts or keeping young children in car seats. These safety restraints can help reduce injuries or prevent death in case you are in an accident.
But not all passengers wearing seatbelts are as well protected as you might think if the passenger restraints do not fit them well. This is especially true for children who have outgrown child safety seats with their own harnesses and are now using regular seatbelts. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends belt-positioning booster seats for children under 8 years old or 80 pounds. Proper positioning of the belt by booster seats virtually eliminates injuries associated with seat belt syndrome, including injuries to the abdomen and spine.
As the parent of older children, I was not aware of the current recommendations until it was brought to my attention during a Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee hearing last session. The discussion occurred at that time because a Senate colleague of mine had a bill to make it mandatory for all children between 4 and 8 years old to be seated in a booster seat when they were traveling in a vehicle. Parents who did not follow the law could be fined $50 for each violation (with a potential surcharge of $60 added on), with the fine waived on the first offense if the offender showed proof of purchasing a booster seat within 14 days after the ticket was issued.
At the time of the bill’s presentation, I was surprised by what seemed like a sudden push to mandate the use of booster seats. I had not heard there was a problem, and I asked the testifiers what efforts had been made to educate parents about the issue. A representative from one insurance company said
they had put information in their consumer newsletter, and the AAA representatives said they had also promoted the use of booster seats. Obviously, it was information I had missed, and I wondered how many other people were unaware of the problem.
I questioned whether it wouldn’t be better if we educated parents about the added safety features of having their children use booster seats and encouraged a voluntary effort to get families to use them before we made it a state law. I also asked what efforts had been made to work with car manufacturers to make passenger restraint systems that would be adjustable and safe for users of various heights and weights.
Advocates for the law, which did not pass last session, said they were also working in those areas, but they believed the development and enforcement of booster seat provisions within state child restraint laws would be an effective strategy to convince parents to use booster seats. I suppose it would be a quicker way to get compliance than an educational campaign. However, I still want to try education first. I believe parents do want to keep their children safe, and if they have good information, they will implement safety measures. As they learn about the risks of improperly fitted seatbelts, more parents are beginning to use the booster seats. While it may be difficult to get a 7 year old into one after they’ve been out of a car seat for several years, it shouldn’t be difficult at all to transition a 4 or 5 year old from a car seat to a booster seat. Parents may even be able to convince older children that the booster seats will allow them to see better as they travel.
Booster seats are available in a variety of styles and for a variety of prices, ranging from $20 and up. (They might even make a good Christmas present from relatives or friends.) Purchase a backless booster seat if the back seat of your car has head rests or a high seat back. Otherwise, choose a high-back booster seat. Use the booster seats in the back seat, if possible, and always with a lap and shoulder strap. The seatbelt fits properly when the shoulder belt lies across the chest, not the neck or face, and the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not across the stomach
Choosing to use booster seats for your children 8 and under or under 80 pounds can protect them from serious injuries. Please think about it and act now. You can protect your children…even without a law.
Have a safe and happy holiday season.
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