PROTECTING children riding in cars from serious injury -- or death -- is a constant parental concern.
Youngsters below the age of 4 must, by law, be placed in car-safety seats. But how do you protect older children from harm?
Auto-safety experts say kids ages 4 to 8 who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds, should be using a booster seat. This device positions a child so that the lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly.
That's crucial because seat belts alone may not protect children in a crash. They could easily slip out of an adult belt and be ejected from the vehicle. Or they could suffer internal or spinal-cord injuries if the adult belt slashes into their stomach or neck in a violent collision.
Let's face it: Kids are too small and don't weigh enough to get the maximum protection out of adult seat belts. The belts may do more harm than good. Booster seats provide a transitional solution.
It's encouraging that a Senate committee has unanimously approved a booster-seat bill and that the identical bill is picking up support in the House. The measures would require use of booster seats for these kids beginning Oct. 1, 2002 -- allowing time to educate parents about this requirement and to start a booster-seat loaner program for low-income families.
The bills also contain a sensible carrot-and-stick approach for parents charged with violating this law. A judge could waive the $25 fine and $23 fee for court costs -- if the parent agrees to buy a child booster seat, which costs about that same amount.
More than 500 children age 4 to 8 die in car crashes each year, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, making them the leading cause of child deaths. The majority of kids are either incorrectly buckled up, using seat belts that don't fit properly or aren't secured by any belt at all.
That's not acceptable. Booster seats give parents a comfort level that their kids are protected should the unexpected happen on the highway. We urge the full House and Senate to give these bills swift approval.
