Sun Editorial: Car seat safety law is in effect
Our children’s safety should always be of the utmost importance to us — ahead of how much we pay in taxes, whether we get that promotion, whether we can take that vacation and whether the last season of “True Detective” was absolutely horrible or sneakily impressive.
The new child car seat law that went into effect last week is the perfect example of this. Among everything else that is going on in our world — and among some pretty questionable decisions they sometimes make — our elected officials are still looking out for our children’s safety.
Starting last Tuesday, stricter rules went into effect for car seats, and these rules adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ list of recommendations.
Among the new rules:
– Children under 2 who weigh less than 30 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing seat equipped with a five-point harness.
– Children 2–4 who weigh up to 40 pounds can be either in a rear- or front-facing seat.
– Children 4–8 who are less than 57 inches tall must be in a forward-facing seat or a booster seat.
– Children between 8 and 17 must wear seat belts.
Some of these changes are going to cost parents extra money, as they will require the purchase of new car seats, and will require children to be in them for longer than before.
But that’s OK. There should be no expense spared when dealing with child safety.
The state’s official website says auto crashes are the leading cause of death for children 6 and older, and using a car seat properly is “one of the simplest and most effective methods available” to protect them.
So spend whatever it takes to keep your children safe on the road. And if you need help installing the seats properly, call the local police department. Safety is №1.
