News New Booster Seat Law Makes Kids Safer

AUSTIN, TX - (June 9, 2009) -Texas' new booster seat law will help save the lives of children by ensuring that they are appropriately restrained in vehicles.

Senate Bill 61, sponsored by Senator Judith Zaffirini and Representative Allan Vaught, recently became law without the Governor's signature. It requires children under 8-years of age to be in a safety seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Texas is the 47th state, including the District of Columbia, to enact a booster seat law.

The law does not specify what type of car seat has to be used, but in general, most children outgrow car seats with a harness system at 40 lbs, usually around 4 years of age. Some car seats now have harnesses with higher weight limits. Once a child grows out of the car seat, a booster seat should be used. Booster seats work with the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt. There are two types of booster seats: high back (for use when the car does not have a headrest in the child's seating position) and no-back (for use when the car does have a headrest). Booster seats are widely available at area retailers and range in cost from $15 to $45.

According to Dr. Todd Maxson, Trauma Medical Director, Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, "children need booster seats until the seat belt fits them properly. Without the booster seat, the seat belt can cause serious, even deadly, injuries during a car crash." Dr. Maxson supports the new law because of his first hand experience with improperly restrained children who were injured, while wearing an ill fitting seat belt, which was the allowable under the old standards. Maxson says, "the patients I treat, who are restrained by a seat belt alone, suffer serious injuries to the spine and internal organs, known as seat belt syndrome. Parents were devastated when they learned that the law didn't match the best practice. This new law now endorses the best practice and provides the appropriate amount of protection for children in crashes."

Paula Yuma, the Injury Prevention Manager at Dell Children's, echoes Dr. Maxson's support of the measure. "Car crashes are still the leading cause of death and disability for children," Yuma says. "We use every available resource to educate families on how to keep their kids safe, but without the support of appropriate legislation, we could only reach a certain percentage of parents." Yuma says booster seats are so effective at preventing injury, that "the new law will result in more than 17 million dollar health care savings to the State, and preserve valuable medical care resources." Most importantly, "this law will save children's lives."

The law takes effect on September 1, 2009, but only warnings will be issued until June 1, 2010, in order to allow parents enough time to obtain the booster seats they need. After June 1, 2010, law enforcement officers can begin issuing $25 citations for the first offense; second offenses can cost up to $250.

Safe Kids Austin, a city-wide coalition dedicated to preventing child injury, provides frequent child safety seat inspection events. At these events parents can work with Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians to ensure their child safety seats and booster seats fit properly and are installed correctly. These events are listed on the Dell Children's website, www.dellchildrens.net.