Child
Passenger Safety
Legislation
Introduction
Missouri laws concerning child passenger safety have not been updated
since 1984, when lawmakers required all children under age four to be restrained
in a safety seat. That means that no laws addressing this topic have been
passed in the lifetime of today's high school student.
Some are seeking
to change that, however, as a national movement cites the need for children to
ride in special seats for even longer than age four. Missouri is one of only 16
states in the nation that does not require a step or steps between a traditional
car seat and an adult safety belt. Some states even require special devices up
to age nine.
Consequently, Missouri legislators have introduced four
pieces of legislation in the current session that would enact various
requirements concerning child passenger safety. These bills are highlighted
below.
Bill Information and
Links
HB 1043
Sponsored by Rep. Barbara
Fraser
Co-sponsored by Rep. Jeanette Mott
Oxford, Rep. Sue
Schoemehl, Rep. Patricia
Yaeger, Rep. Mike
Sutherland and Rep. Sara
Lampe
HB 1165
Sponsored by Rep. Gary
Dusenberg
Co-sponsored by Rep. Neal St.
Onge, Rep.
Mike Sutherland, Rep. Jason
Brown, Rep. Walt
Bivins and Rep. Michael
McGhee
HB 1391
Sponsored by Rep. Charles
Denison
Co-sponsored by Rep. David Sater,
Rep. Timothy
Flook, Rep.
Trent Skaggs, Rep. Paul LeVota,
Rep. Jim
Viebrock, Rep.
Charles Schlottach, Rep. Kevin
Threlkeld, Rep.
Bryan Pratt, Rep. Robert Thane
Johnson, Rep.
Raymond Weter, Rep. Michael George
Corcoran, Rep.
Jason Brown, Rep. Sally Faith,
Rep. Kathlyn
Fares, Rep.
Kevin Wilson, Rep. Beth Low, Rep. Craig
Bland and Rep. Michael
Brown
SB 916
Sponsored by Sen. Chris Koster
Co-sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray, Sen. Pat Dougherty,
Sen. John
Griesheimer, Sen. Harry Kennedy,
Sen. Luann
Ridgeway, Sen.
Bill Stouffer and Sen. Charles
Wheeler
All
bills were introduced in January 2006. A public hearing to discuss all three
House bills was held in February. Following a January hearing, the Senate
Transportation Committee recommended that SB916 be passed on Feb. 21. The bill
is now on the calendar for the consideration of the entire Senate.
UPDATE:
HB1391 was combined with HB 1378, HB 1379 and HB 1541 in early March. Click here for the substitute bill HB 1378.
SB916 passed in the Senate by a vote of 31-1 on March 16. The bill has now moved to the House.
Public Opinion
Several
groups and lawmakers have expressed support for the proposed legislation and
enhanced child passenger safety measures in general.
Although no formal
opposition to the legislation could be found, grounds for opposition could
include: the inconvenience of securing children in special safety seats;
the added cost of purchasing special safety seats beyond age four; and increased
governmental control.
What's Happening in Other
States
There are currently 34 states (as well as the
District of Columbia) that require some sort of child safety seat between
traditional car seats and adult safety belts. Of those states:
- 2 require safety seats up to age 9
- 11 require safety seats up to age 8
- 6 require safety seats up to age 7
- 15 require safety seats up to age 6
There are still
16 states (including Missouri) with no booster seat requirements.
Some
states have chosen to base requirements on height and weight. Others have
enacted special restrictions on child passengers, such as not riding near an
active airbag.
Helpful
Links
News stories on the
legislation
KMBC-TV-Kansas
City (2-23-06)
Columbia
Daily Tribune (2-15-06)
KQTV-St.
Joseph (2-12-06)
Kansas
City Star (1-8-06)
Other Links
Boosterseat.gov
Information on a national campaign to increase child safety seat usage
beyond the traditional car seats up to age four. Also includes links to state
child passenger safety requirements.
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
Includes statistics on accidents involving child passengers, safety seat
suggestions, ratings of safety seats from various manufacturers and more.
Safety
seat laws by state (PDF)
Shows state requirements for
child passenger safety.
News release
(2-14-06) from office of Gov. Matt Blunt
Declares the
week of Feb. 13 as Child Passenger Safety Week in Missouri. Also offers
statistics on accidents involving child passengers and guidelines for child
passenger safety seats.
Child
Passenger Safety information from the National Conference of State
Legislatures
A national overview of current and
proposed legislation concerning child passenger safety.
Missouri Coalition for Roadway
Safety
The American
Academy of Pediatrics on child safety seats
Safe
Kids
Reporting Tips
Why this
story is worth reporting
Many high school students are faced with the
responsibility of transporting younger siblings upon receiving their driver's
licenses. This legislation would affect how that transportation would be
regulated, requiring the driver to assure that the child is properly restrained
or face financial penalties. More importantly, however, the safety of those
younger siblings is at issue.
Interesting facts
According to a 2004 study released by the
University of Missouri-Columbia Institute of Public Policy, child safety seat
laws across the nation have reduced child fatalities by 18% since
1975.
According to the same 2004 study, children older than four were 43%
more likely to die in a car crash in Missouri.
According to a Daily
Journal (Park Hills) article from Feb. 17, motor vehicle crashes are the
leading cause of death for children over two. In 2004 in Missouri, motor vehicle
crashes killed 20 children under eight years old and injured 2,725. Many were
not restrained in child safety seats.
Several other statistics and facts
concerning child passenger safety can be found at the sites in the "Helpful
Links" section above.
Who to
Interview
Talk to your peers and see how many of them
transport younger siblings and how often. Ask how closely they assure proper
restraint and how they would feel if the legislation would
pass.
Research archives of your local or student
newspaper and see if child passenger safety has been an issue in any recent
vehicle accidents. If so, interview those involved and ask their opinion on the
proposed legislation.
Talk to local highway officials and see if any child safety seat
checks are scheduled in your area. Such checks are often offered periodically as
a public service in many communities. You can also search for local inspection
sites by visiting the Seatcheck
website.
Talk to parents of young children and find out
whether they currently use child safety seats. Some parents use the
devices even though they are not legally required beyond age four as of now.
Sidebar/Infographic/Photo Id
Accident statistics are available on motor
vehicle accidents involving children, publish them as a sidebar or
graph.
Conduct an informal poll among your peers to
determine how many would be affected by the legislation and what they think
about it.
Construct a graph showing the various child
passenger safety laws across the country and their impact on accident
injuries and fatalities.
MoStuGov