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Booster seat law goes into effect
Is your kid shorter than 4 feet 9 inches?
Published Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Starting Wednesday, children who are under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall must be in a child safety seat or booster seat when riding in an automobile.
Under the new booster-seat law passed by the Minnesota Legislature, children cannot use a seat belt alone until they reach those requirements. The law accompanies the new primary seat belt law that went into effect June 9, which requires drivers and passengers to be belted or in a child restraint to avoid being stopped and ticketed by law enforcement.
“We in the child-passenger-safety field are very excited about the new booster seat law,” said Albert Lea Police officer Tim Harves. “If it saves one life it has done what it was intended to do — save unnecessary loss of life or significant injury due to small children using adult safety belts alone.”
Currently, a child who reaches age 4 has no legal obligation to use any type of child restraint as long as the seat belt is used, Harves said.
According to a Minnesota Department of Public Safety news release, only 30 percent of Minnesota children use boosters.
“Boosters are common-sense safety tools to ensure children are riding as safe as possible in a vehicle,” said Heather Darby, child passenger safety coordinator for the state Department of Public Safety, in the release. “Children who are shorter than 4 feet 9 simply aren’t tall enough to use a seat belt alone. If they do, a belt may do more damage than good in case of a crash.”
Most common child passenger safety mistakes:
• Turning a child from a rear-facing restraint to a forward-facing restraint too soon.
• The restraint is not secured tight enough. It should not shift more than one inch side-to side or out from the seat.
• The harness on the child is not tight enough. If you can pinch harness material, it’s too loose.
• The retainer clip is up too high or too low. It should be at the child’s armpit level.
• The child is in the wrong restraint. Parents often rush their child into a seat belt.
— Information from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Darby said children are not ready to ride in a seat belt until they can sit with their back against the vehicle seat, their knees bent completely over the seat and their feet touching the floor.
A common sign that a seat belt does not fit properly is if the child wraps the belt behind them to avoid the belt rubbing against their neck, the release stated.
In the last five years in Minnesota, 18 passengers ages 4 to 8 were killed in crashes and more than 3,000 were injured, the release stated.
Since 1991, 86 percent of children who were involved in crashes and who were properly restrained were not injured, while 13 percent sustained minor injuries, according to the release.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety recommends parents keep children in a booster based on their height rather than their age.
Harves said the safest restraint for a child is still the five-point harness.
“Just because your child has reached the legal landmark for not using a child restraint anymore does not automatically mean that the adult seat belt will work as a proper restraint for them,” he said.
When a child has reached the weight limit for the five-point harness, he or she can graduate to a booster seat and use the adult seat belt in conjunction with that, he said. Children should not leave the booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches.
Harves said when selecting a booster seat, parents need to be conscious of the head protection the child will get from the vehicle’s seat. If the child’s head extends above the top of the seat, a parent should get a full booster seat with a back. If the child’s head is protected by a head rest in the vehicle, a parent would probably only need to buy a backless booster seat.
Parents with any questions can attend child passenger safety clinics every third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon at Flaherty’s Auto Center in Albert Lea. Appointments can be made for these clinics by calling 377-5100.
Harves can also answer questions by phone at 377-5671.
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Comments
Posted by lillyrose (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So its 8 years old AND 4'9"? Thought it was until whichever comes first, guess I'll be buying another seat before tomorrow.
Posted by None (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, it's both. Luckily boosters aren't all that expensive compared to the 5-point harness seats!
Posted by lillyrose (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yep, WalMart has some for around $15.
Posted by dodge4ever (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think its a dumb law to be 8 years old and 4'9 to be in booster seat
Posted by lillyrose (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There are adults who aren't even 4'9" - what about them?
Guess the cost of a booster is cheaper then the ticket, but not happy about having to buy another one, no matter what the cost is!
Posted by Austin (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dumb to protect your child from death or injuries? Huh. I have an 8 year old and she climbs right in her backless booster. She could care less if she is still in one. Keeps her safe and that is all that matters to me.
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Austin, are you saying that you need a law to protect your kids. Are you too dumb to protect your kids on their your own!
Posted by podwod (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If we are trying to protect our children, why are buses exempt from seatbelt laws?
Posted by mark10895 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The wording in this article is incorrect. I checked with the state department of public safety, and here is the correct wording: Minnesota children under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall must be in a child safety seat or booster seat, effective July 1. Under the booster law, children cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall — whichever comes first. To ensure child safety, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) recommends parents keep children in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wildbill why does it matter where the protection comes from?
Posted by Austin (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wildbill, what is wrong with you? I was responding to dodge4ever's statement about it being a dumb law. All my children are in car seats and would be even if it wasn't the law. I protect my kids on my own, more than the law requires. Read all posts to keep yourself from looking stupid again.
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
leftys2221, why do you need a law to tell you how to do something? Didn't your parents do a good job of raising you by their own understanding?
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Austin, there is nothing wrong with me. I apologize if I misunderstood you comment.
Posted by Austin (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you. Appreciate that.
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is everything an attack with people who disagree with you Wildbill? Why shouldn't people who do not follow the rules be punished for putting their kids safety at risk?
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Also, what if some people's parents didn't do a good job? Is it just crap on them or what?
Posted by BadBoy (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wildbill, unfortunately not everyone had great parents as you did. Therefore we need a law that will force parents to protect their children.
Posted by BabyGotBack (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You need look no further for an example of that then the drunken idiot who was too drunk to watch his kids while his wife was at work (see arrests section). It resulted in a one year old on the street in just a diaper and a three year old wandering the streets missing for 45 minutes. We need laws for jackasses like him, sadly.
Posted by pfsk2 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 8:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Officer Dillrod said "Now me and my pals can write even more senseless tickets and laugh like dorks eating donuts and drinking coffee at kwik trip getting revenge for all of the kids that stuffed us in lockers as children."
Posted by 57boy (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 10:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
podwod is RIGHT.Why in the heck don't school buses have seat belts?????I was on one today.....guess what??? the DRIVER WEARS ONE!!!!Don't we or the schools or the government give a crap about our kids????SHOULD BE MANDATORY !!!!!!!!!
Posted by alhsgrad90 (anonymous) on June 30, 2009 at 11:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
57boy you should check to see if the bus you were on carries a certain student population. I know the buses my son's ride which take them to an elementary school here in the cities has seat belts. If the bus is a carry a segment of the student population that does not require safety belts then the bus will not have them. I could be wrong but I thought you might like to know.
Posted by monkeymomma (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 2:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Making seat belts mandatory on buses would also help cut down on all the other crap (bullying, etc) that happens on the bus. I feel so sorry for these bus drivers whose responsibility it is to transport these kids safely, but must also deal with the behavior issues and other distractions. Strap those little varmits down! That's what I say!
Posted by leftys2221 (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is what I found as far as why buses are not equipped with seat belts.
"Most accidents involving school buses were either frontal or rear collisions, which means that passengers were protected by a safety feature called compartmentalization."
It goes on to say that the seats protect the individual, similar to how they work in an airplane. I still think it is a thing that should be looked at, especially on out of town (highway) travel.
Posted by controlledhyperness (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
mark,
Thanks so much for that clarification! I was thinking it had been written that way (8 OR 4'9" whichever comes first). Public Saftey has had a tendancy in the past to push what their recomendations are rather then clarify the law upon occation (instance would be, law 1 and 20lbs to be facing forward, suggestion at one time 1 and 30lbs; there have been others as well). I do have a question though...what is the actual law on 4 year olds? I have seen that there was no real law once they hit 4 (BEFORE this law went into effect), and I have also heard that kids need to be in a harness until 40lbs (rather then age). I am wondering about this, as my kids, by and large, are skinny. My 7 year old finally broke the 40lb mark this past week...are they expecting kids that old to stay in a harness??? I also wonder what they want us to do if our kids are taller then BOTH the back seat AND the full backed booster....
Just thoughts thinking out loud...
Posted by youthinkso (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 7:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You think so? It is simply unbelievable that we pay people our hard earned tax dollars to make decisions like this. Let parents parent. In the land of the free we do not need government in our lives in this manner. Sure... there will be parents that don't do what's best for their kids. This law will not change that. People can parent better than our government can.
Posted by lillyrose (anonymous) on July 1, 2009 at 7:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We contacted law enforcement for clarification on the booster seat law. Once a child is 9 years old, it does not matter how tall they are - they are no longer required by law to sit in a booster seat.
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