Washington's Booster Seat Law Takes Effect

OLYMPIA, Wash., June 28 -- Drivers beware! If you have a child in your vehicle between the ages of four and six, you are required to have the child in a booster seat beginning July 1. That's when Washington's new booster seat law takes effect.

The law was approved by the state Legislature two years ago, but the implementation date was delayed to give parents a chance to voluntarily comply.

A booster seat ticket costs $86 per violation. However, there is a provision in the law that gives people a chance to have the ticket dismissed if they prove to the judge that they bought a booster seat for their child within seven days of having received the ticket.

Washington was the first state in the country to pass a booster seat law, though other states have since followed suit and even implemented their laws sooner.

Booster seats protect children from being ejected or severely injured by seat belts which are built for adult bodies. Boosters raise a child up so that the lap belt fits across the thighs, not the stomach, and the shoulder belt fits across the shoulder and chest, instead of the neck and face.

Although the law only pertains to children up to age six, safety experts recommend booster seats for children who are under 4'9" tall.

Washington's new booster seat law also spells out requirements for children in other age groups: -- Infants are required to be in rear-facing infant seats, -- Children ages 1-4 need to be in forward-facing child car seats, and -- Kids up to age six must ride in the rear of the vehicle if there is a front seat, passenger-side airbag. (Although safety experts recommend children up to age 12 ride in the rear seat for adequate protection.)

"We have found that parents are motivated to protect children, they just aren't aware of the need for booster seats," said John Moffat, Washington Traffic Safety Commission Director. "Many parents have no idea how very vulnerable their children are if they aren't in a booster seat."

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 71% of deaths and 66% of injuries in collisions could be eliminated if every child used an appropriate restraint system. Research at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center in Seattle supports that conclusion, too.

People who want more information about booster seats can call 800-BUCK-L-UP or go to www.boosterseat.org.

Traffic collisions are the leading cause of death and injury for children. Booster seats increase a child's chances of surviving a collision by 36%.

There are two main types of booster seats, one has a high back and the other has no back -- both work with a lap and shoulder seat belt (not a lap belt only). If a child's ears are higher than the top of the back seat, a high back booster provides important whiplash protection.

"We hear kids saying booster seats improve their view out the car window because they raise them up. We hear parents say booster seats help prevent carsickness for their children. So booster seats provide benefits in addition to safety for children," Moffat said.

A booster seat costs $20 with the coupon available at the booster seat web site, but the cost can go up to $150, depending on the model purchased.

In 1999, nearly 19,000 unbuckled people died in collisions across the U.S., more than 3000 of them were children.