AAA Leads Fight for Stronger Occupant Protection Laws in Eight States
WASHINGTON--June 11, 2002--With the passage of Colorado's law last week, eight states recently succeeded in closing the loopholes in child occupant protection laws, according to AAA's Seated, Safe and Secure report on child passenger safety.The report is the first in a series that monitors the progress of state efforts to strengthen child occupant protection laws.
After launching its nationwide Seated, Safe and Secure campaign in March and offering its model "Guidelines For Effective Child Passenger Safety Legislation," AAA's network of club representatives have led efforts to strengthen child occupant protection laws in Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia.
"We're off to a good start, but we have a very ambitious campaign goal of closing the loopholes in child occupant protection laws in every state and the District of Columbia by 2005," said Susan Pikrallidas, AAA vice president of public affairs. "With motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of death for children, we will also continue to increase public awareness through education and serve as a national resource for child passenger safety issues to our members and the general public."
In recent months, AAA club representatives have helped pass the following laws:
| -- | Colorado - This law requires children ages 4 and 5 who are less than 55 inches to use a booster seat or a child safety belt-positioning device, and children ages 6 to 16 and at least 55 inches tall to wear a seat belt. |
| -- | Delaware - Children under 7 and weighing less than 60 pounds must be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards appropriate for the child's weight and height. The bill also states that every child in all seating positions from age seven up to 16, or weighing 60 or more pounds, should wear a properly secured seat belt, or booster seat, whichever is appropriate for the child's weight and height. However, the law does grandfather in children who have turned 4 by the enactment date of the law, which will be January 1, 2003; these children must be restrained in a seat belt. |
| -- | Maine -Children who weigh at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds and under 8 must be properly secured in a child restraint system. The law requires children under 18 and at least 8 or under 18 and more than 4 feet, 7 inches in height to be secured in a seat belt unless that child is required to be in a child restraint system. The law also requires children under 12 and 100 pounds to be in the rear seat of a vehicle, if possible. |
| -- | Maryland - Children younger than age 6 must be secured in a child safety seat, as booster seats have been added to the definition of child safety seat. All children younger than age 4 or who weigh less than 40 pounds and traveling in vehicles with out-of-state registration to be secured in child safety seats. |
| -- | Nebraska - Children up to the age of 6 must be transported in a child passenger restraint system and children between 6 and 16 and weighing more than 40 pounds must wear a seat belt at all times. The law also requires all persons traveling with a provisional licensee to wear a seat belt. |
| -- | Oklahoma - This law repeals the nonresident exemption in the existing child passenger restraint law. |
| -- | South Carolina - This law strengthens the state's existing Graduated Driver's Licensing law and has a provision that prohibits children 15 and under from riding in pick up truck beds with certain exceptions. |
| -- | Virginia - This law increases the age requirement for securing a child in a proper child passenger restraint system from 4 to 5 and requires children between the ages of 6 and 16 to wear a seat belt at all times. |
Prior to the launch of AAA's campaign, club representatives also led the effort in closing loopholes in child occupant protection laws in nine states: Arkansas, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington. For the complete Seated, Safe and Secure report on child passenger safety laws visit aaasafejourney.org.
For a summary of laws and regulations governing the operation of passenger cars in the U.S., its territories and the Provinces of Canada, check out AAA's 2002 Digest of Motor Laws available through local AAA Clubs or by calling 1-877-AAA-BOOK.
As the nation's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its 45 million members in the United States and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety of all travelers.
AAA news releases are available from http://www.aaa.com/news
