Child Safety Gets A Boost From New Law

By Nancy K. Crevier

Little Suzy-Q may have been thrilled when she reached 4 years of age and 40 pounds and put away her booster seat. But if Suzy hasn’t yet reached the age of 7 and a weight of 60 pounds come October 1, her parents will have to dust off that booster seat and properly reinstall it in their vehicle.

New Connecticut booster seat laws go into effect that day. Children need to be in an appropriate child restraint system using lap and shoulder belts until they are over 6 years of age and over 60 pounds according to Connecticut Public Act 05-58. In addition, it is suggested that children use a booster seat until they are 4’9” in height.

Connecticut is only the 34th state to initiate a booster seat law, despite statistics that show motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of childhood injury for children over the age of 1. Placing a child in a booster seat fastened with a seat belt can reduce a child’s risk of injury by 59 percent, according to information provided by the Newtown Police Department.

Susan Hoffman, who works for Dr Alexander Isgut at Family Health Care Center on Church Hill Road, is happy about the new law. A large part of the Family Health Care clientele is children, and she would hate to think of any preventable harm coming to the babies and toddlers who visit the office. Her own “babies” are 22 and 25 years old now, but long before car seats were required by law or seat belts were de rigueur, her children buckled up.

“I guess there have to be laws for people without common sense. I always used to see parents put their kids in their laps when my kids were little. I would think, “Those kids are just going to be missiles.” I always put mine in car seats and in the back seat.”

 But convincing a child who has tasted “freedom” to hop back into a booster seat might take some persuasion. What will it take? Candy? Money? Toys? Two Newtown mothers expect their children to simply listen up.

“I’ll just tell him it’s the law and he has to do it,” says Megan Mclean, a mother of three children, ages 9, 6, and 4. Cooper, her eldest child, has been out of a booster seat since the summer of 2004. “He may not be happy,” she says, “ but I will enforce it. He’s not 60 pounds yet.” Accommodating the law means the Mclean family will have to purchase another booster seat for Cooper, though, as his old one has gone by the wayside.

Laura Helmig’s son, Quinn, has never had a problem with using his booster seat. But he has been out of it since this past summer when he passed the 40-pound point. “He is so tall for his age,” says Mrs Helmig, “that he was sitting up so high, I felt that if I got rear-ended that his head would be above the head rest and that would be dangerous. I wanted him to sit lower in the seat. I was comfortable with it.” Mrs Helmig hopes he will not give her a hard time when the October law goes into effect and he must return to using a booster seat in the car. “He does listen,” she says.

Carol Helminski, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician/Instructor for Graco Children’s Products offers tips to parents who need to entice an older rider back into a booster seat. “Talk to the child about the law,” she says. “Then I would take them out to the car, put them into the seat belt and show them how an adult belt doesn’t really fit safely. Then, put them in a booster seat and point out the positives: how it fits better, they are up higher, they can see better.” Making the return to a booster seat attractive to an older, lighter weight child will be a challenge, she admits. She suggests that pointing out that it is now the law and that the law must be abided by may be the only alternative.

Whatever it takes to convince your child to use the booster seat, it will be worth your while, from more than just a safety standpoint. Violators will receive a ticket and a fine. In addition, those held in contempt of this law will be required to attend a two-hour car seat safety course run by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. And all parents of young children know that life is just too busy to spend doing that; or sitting in the hospital emergency room.

Evenflo, Graco, Britax, and Eddie Bauer are just a few of the manufacturers who fashion booster seats for children of all ages. At www.gracobaby.com, parents can find tips for encouraging children to use a booster seat and how to determine if the booster seat is properly positioned and appropriate for their child.

For those parents who have questions concerning the new law or the proper use of child safety restraints, The Newtown Police Department’s Certified Child Passenger Safety Seat Technicians will be at the Newtown Health and Safety Fair at the Newtown Middle School, Saturday, September 24. It is the perfect opportunity to ensure your child is properly and safely restrained when you get behind the wheel.

Buckle up for safety — it’s the law.