State Representative Karen Boback and Sen. John Yudichak in Pennsylvania continues to lead the way on child safety.
The two state legislators are happy that the state’s child passenger car seat law which was adopted a year ago will now be fully enforced — effective August 12. Fines will kick in for Pennsylvania’s car seat law.
A year ago, Pennsylvania adopted a new law to keep kids safer in the car, which requires that children be restrained in rear-facing child passenger restraint systems until at least age 2, or until they have outgrown the height and weight limits designated by the car seat manufacturer.
For the last 12 months, violators have been issued a verbal warning, however, on Saturday, the grace period ends and violations will result in a $125 fine.
“I supported this legislation last session and am pleased to see this life-saving safety measure enacted,” Boback, R-Harveys Lake, said. “I recently became a grandmother and have a vested interest in ensuring our children are safe.”
Boback said that she has found a number of studies that confirm that children are safer in rear-facing car seats.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, Boback said, “a rear-facing car seat does a better job at protecting the head, neck and spine of an infant because it distributes the force of a collision over the entire body.”
Yudichak said he is proud that Pennsylvania is out front on the child safety issue.
“This law protects the most vulnerable in our community and it will surely save children’s lives as enforcement begins,” he said.
What comes into effect under the new law?:
• Children under the age of 2 must be restrained in a rear-facing car seat.
• Beginning Aug. 12, each violation will result in a $125 fine.
• Eight states require children younger than 2 to be in a rear-facing child seat — California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
Pennsylvania’s law requires:
• Children under the age of 2 must sit in a rear-facing car seat.
• Children under 8 must ride in an appropriately-fitting booster seat until they’re 4 feet 9 inches tall or weigh 80 pounds.
• Parents who fail to abide by the rules could face a fine of up to $125.