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An effort is underway on Capitol Hill this year to upgrade Utah's child passenger safety law - to require that children through age eight, or until they're 57 inches tall, ride in an automobile booster seat.
In KSL's view, it's a no-brainer. It ought to be enacted.
The current law requires that children up to age five be restrained in a child safety seat. And that's good. A lot of lives have been saved and injuries prevented because of the law.
Unfortunately, as advocates point out, "Parents look to the law as a guide for the safety and protection of the children" and "the current state law leads parents to believe that seat belt restraint is sufficient once their children reach five years. Many parents are not aware of the importance of belt-positioning booster seats in protecting their children."
There's plenty of data, nationally and locally, to validate the life-saving value of booster seats and vehicle safety restraints for children. Indeed, 33 state legislatures and the District of Columbia have passed booster seat bills.
KSL believes passage of an improved child restraint measure would send an invaluable message to parents and other adults about the importance of extended booster seat use. As we said, the measure is a no-brainer. It ought to be passed.
