Booster Seat Bill Will Save Lives

Dear Patch Editor:

Most parents have no problem accepting child safety seats as a necessity for babies and toddlers riding in motor vehicles. So why do so many parents of older children disregard booster seats as the necessity that they are? Probably because many are simply not aware.

That’s why, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Safe Kids Georgia support new legislation that will help keep Georgia’s children safe and have been by working closely with lawmakers in an effort to protect 6- and 7-year-olds on the road.

While a seat belt is better than no restraint at all, 6-to 8-year-olds are transitioning into seat belts too soon. House Bill 279 and Senate Bill 88 protect children ages 6 to 8 years old whose height and weight puts them at risk for a type of injury called Lap/ Seat Belt Complex.

When children wearing only a seat or lap belt are involved in a motor vehicle crash, they are much more likely to suffer from this type of injury, which includes fractures and severe bruising of abdominal organs. These children are also at greater risk of sliding under the lap belt, which in turn can cause pressure leading to injury of solid organs, such as the liver, spleen and pancreas.

The legislation seeks to prevent these injuries and fatalities by requiring children up to age 8 to be secured in a booster seat while inside a moving vehicle.

A child is exempted from the law if one of the following is true:

▪                He is at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

▪                He has a written statement from a physician for a medical condition.

▪                He weighs 40 pounds or more, and the vehicle is not equipped with both lap and shoulder belts.

▪                He weighs 40 pounds or more, and there are no lap and shoulder belts in the vehicle.

Children’s has seen a lower crash injury rate with children 4 to 6 years of age – compared to 6- to 8-year-olds. Between 2006 –2010, approximately 95% of the patients seen for injuries resulting from a motor vehicle crash between ages 6 and 8 were improperly restrained.

At Children’s, we believe, and research has shown, that kids should be treated differently than adults when receiving medical care. Motor vehicles, intended for the transport of all ages, should be thought of no differently when it comes to protecting kids in the event of a crash. Simply put, safety belts are not made to fit all ages and kids should be in booster seats until their 8th birthday.

Booster seats can fit into any budget. Many can be purchased online or in retail stores for as little as $20. There are also several Child Passenger Safety technicians and instructors available to work through a variety of activities, including child safety seat checks where parents and caregivers receive education and hands-on assistance with the proper use of child restraint systems and safety belts.

Visit Safe Kids, National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration or the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to learn more about free services available to ensure that your child is in the right seat.

-- Jim Fortenberry, Pediatrician in Chief, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta