The New Child Car Seat Belt Law/Regulations
In one weeks time a new regulation relating to seat belts and children will be implemented. As usual there is some confusion as to the exact details. The confusion isn't just with the general public. Today I listened to a police road safety officer based in Cornwall being interviewed on radio. He stated when questioned, "I agree it is confusing." The understanding seems to be that how the law is implemented will depend on how your local policeforce interprets it. So be-aware.
The confusion appears to have arisen from the inclusion of a section that talks about children under 12. Does the law relate to children under 12 years of age? or does the law relate to children less than 4.5 feet tall? The best advice that the police safety officer could give was to measure your child. If the child is under 4.5 feet then you must have a booster seat in place. There seems to be no right or wrong booster seat. It seems that any decent cushion will suffice.
Logically you would think that the reasons for this new law are a proven safety issue for short persons. Logically you would think that whether the person is a child or just a very short adult, being 4.5 feet tall and riding in a car without a booster seat, will be the same danger for all humans, whatever the age. Apparently not. Only children are covered. The inconsistencies that will obviously arise with this will be numerous. It will be interesting to see how many parents challenge the new law when they are stopped, and charged, for allowing their young looking 16 year old who measures only 4.4 feet, to sit in the car with no booster seat.
I wonder how they would have dealt with my son. Always tall for his age, at 8 years old he was 4 feet and by 11 he was over 4.5 feet tall.
The confusion appears to have arisen from the inclusion of a section that talks about children under 12. Does the law relate to children under 12 years of age? or does the law relate to children less than 4.5 feet tall? The best advice that the police safety officer could give was to measure your child. If the child is under 4.5 feet then you must have a booster seat in place. There seems to be no right or wrong booster seat. It seems that any decent cushion will suffice.
Logically you would think that the reasons for this new law are a proven safety issue for short persons. Logically you would think that whether the person is a child or just a very short adult, being 4.5 feet tall and riding in a car without a booster seat, will be the same danger for all humans, whatever the age. Apparently not. Only children are covered. The inconsistencies that will obviously arise with this will be numerous. It will be interesting to see how many parents challenge the new law when they are stopped, and charged, for allowing their young looking 16 year old who measures only 4.4 feet, to sit in the car with no booster seat.
I wonder how they would have dealt with my son. Always tall for his age, at 8 years old he was 4 feet and by 11 he was over 4.5 feet tall.
posted by Anonymous at 9/15/2006 02:05:00 pm
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