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Aug 31, 2009 5:33 pm US/Central
New State Law Puts More Kids In Car Seats
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A new state law, going into effect September 1, expands the rules on children and car seats. Older children will now have to be strapped in booster seats.
Katie Quinn has a pretty active day keeping pace with one year old Ben and three year old Bobby.
Right now, car seats, of course, are a must for the boys, but what about five years down the road, when her oldest will be seven?
"Maybe perhaps we've gone a bit too excessive on the caution and safety. Because there comes a limit to what you can do to your child," Quinn said of the change. "You can't keep them in a protective bubble their whole life."
Starting Tuesday, Texas law will require that all children under the age of eight be sitting in safety seats while in a motor vehicle. The change expands the current child seat law age requirement by three years.
The change means a transition for some families. "I do not want to have to put my have to put him back in a car seat. I've already taken him out," said one North Texas mother of her son.
Health and safety analysts say the age change is a byproduct of a false sense of safety. According to some, seat belts aren't enough. "We now have pretty good data that shows kids between four and eight have some of the most serious injuries we see in this time," explained University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Emergency Medical Director Dr. Paul Pepe.
Parent Dave Kunitz said, "I think the most important thing is making sure that the kids are safe. I don't see a problem restraining them up until to the age of eight."
If your child is taller than 4'9" the new seat law doesn't apply.
As it stands, violators won't be penalized for breaking the law, yet. Police won't begin enforcing the law until June 2010.
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