A New Law

I learned a lot about child safety restraints living in Michigan, being closely involved with child safety seat monitoring and technicians and not having any children of my own, I joked a lot.

I joked that one of my besties children would be dragging their booster seats to their 1st school dance as their mother wouldn't allow them to be out of their restraints. And she always said the same thing "You just wait, your mind will change, and then I can say I told you so".

Well Kim, you can now tell me "I told you so"!

When I was a kid I remember being in this large blue contraption where this enormous padded bar came down over me and snapped into place. It was like being on a carnival ride. And I had to ride in it until I got to Kindergarten. *GASP* I was so happy to get rid of that thing.

Now? A New Law has been signed in California by Governor Brown, a new booster seat law, effective Jan 1, 2012. It requires children up until the age of 8 to be safely restrained in the back seat in a booster seat. Previously it was 6 year or 60 lbs. So while I was a tiny little tot of a child and couldn't wait to dispose of my carnival seat, the law now requires that you be 4 ft. 9 in or 8 years of age. My boys will be 8 years before they can dispose of their booster seats.

Let's hope that strict fines and penalties along with enforcement of this new law will help decrease the leading cause of death of children 4 - 12 years of age from auto accidents.

What do you think about the new law? How old should kids be before they ditch their boosters?