Too old for booster seat? State says no
I like to post everything I find about child auto safety. Today the Detroit Free Press reported on Michigan’s child booster seat laws.–Marty O’Neill, Insurance Agent
BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF • FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU CHIEF • March 26, 2008
LANSING — The big buckle of the law will get bigger to protect more kids on Michigan roads.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign a bill soon requiring car booster seats for children ages 4 through 7 who are less than 4 feet 9.
Current state law requires a car seat of some kind for children younger than 4.
“It’s more protection, something we should have done a long time ago,” said Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau and sponsor of the bill.
McManus said a car booster seat costs between $10 and $25 but said the state can apply for a federal grant to give booster seats free or at a reduced cost to families that qualify based on their incomes.
The new law, effective July 1, would allow police to stop drivers for a booster seat violation alone, as a primary traffic offense. Fines would be $65.
Advocates of the bill say vehicle seat belts don’t properly fit across the smaller bodies of children, leaving them vulnerable to accident injuries from the belts themselves.
Booster seats raise children higher so seat belts fit snugly across their chests and hips, instead of their necks.
The strap-in seats reduced neck, spine and abdominal injuries for children ages 4-7 by 59%, according to a 2003 study by the American Medical Association.
Michigan would become the 39th state to require booster seats for children through age 7.
“I think it’s a fabulous idea. I think there should be a five- point harness required for kids up to 8,” said Christina Calderwood, 36, of Rochester.
She said her 5-year-old uses a safety seat rather than a booster seat, and he doesn’t complain.
“He knows race car drivers wear five-point harnesses,” Calderwood said.
Tara Bradshaw, 39, of Wyandotte said some parents will view the new law as a government intrusion. But Bradshaw said she uses a booster seat for her 4-year-old.
“When it’s a law, more people do it,” she said. “I don’t like the government telling me what to do, but I’m all for doing what’s necessary to keep my children safe.”
The issue was a topic Tuesday on the Free Press’ MotorCityMoms.com Web site, where most readers supported the new booster seat requirement.
Still, some questioned whether it would be a hardship to some families or merely was an attempt to muster revenue for police departments through more fines.
A 2006 national survey found that 58% of children ages 4-7 were restrained in booster or safety seats.
The state is planning a public awareness campaign for the new booster seat law through the Office of Highway Safety Planning.