Car Seat Requirements
Car Seat Requirements for Colorado
Colorado car seat requirements have been following suit with several other States in giving their child car seat safety laws a boost. As of August 1, 2010 the law changed from requiring children aged 4 and 5 being required to use booster seats, to now age 8. It was such a significant step up, that lawmakers actually allowed a grace period called a “One year education period” in which violators where simply given warnings for improper child restraints in a motor vehicle. As of August 1, 2011 that education period was over and now violators stand to receive an $82 ticket per child, per infraction.
Investigating Car Seat Requirements
This movement to better protect our children is pushed by this sobering fact; of children aged 3-14 years old in the U.S., injuries sustained in a vehicular accident is the leading cause of death. This is a result of a 2008 study by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. In that report they surmised that a great majority of those deaths could have been avoided if the child had been properly restrained. Children age 6-8 were deemed extra vulnerable because they were usually above most States (at the time) car seat requirements for booster seat usage. Still too small within their bodies, especially if they were under 4’9” in height, the original equipment seat belts don’t properly fit these small children. Often the belt would come across their neck instead of their chest so in most cases they would put it behind their heads. This causes excessive flailing and lashing of the body by centrifugal crash forces.
The State of Colorado did its own investigating and discovered that from 2006-2010, 64 children aged under 12 perished. Shockingly, it was discovered that 55% of those children were either improperly restrained, or not restrained at all. This was enough to set Colorado car seat requirements up for an overhaul. The law was passed and new statistics are being counted to gauge effectiveness.
Car Seat Requirements – Proper Use
Colorado does more than a lot of States in helping its residents become acquainted with the new car seat requirements. Besides the “One year education period”, the State has also set up 140 child seat fitting stations. They offer free safety checks to make sure your car seat is properly fastened in the car and being used correctly on the child, as well as showing you how to properly install new convertible seats and booster seats.
New car seat requirements involving the increased age for booster seats should make a healthy dent in childhood crash fatalities. Using a booster seat reduces the risk of serious injury by 45-55% depending on whom you ask. That’s enough of a difference for most parents to follow the new car seat requirements and makes it worth putting up with a child that fights getting into the booster every time they get in the car.
New Trend In Car Seat Requirements
Many people frown at so called ‘Nanny Laws” like this which makes the Government a parenting partner. The statistics are real, and most would be hard pressed to believe that those parents of the children that died in those accidents would now complain about such a new law. Colorado is just one of what will ultimately be every State in the union following suit on changing their car seat requirements.
Here are some other helpful car seat links to learn more. Thanks for visiting!
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