Kentucky’s New Booster Seat Law Expands Protection of Children in Car Accidents

Children are a parent’s most precious asset, but when riding in vehicles, youngsters too often are put at risk because of inadequate safety precautions with child-restraint and booster seats.

A new law in Kentucky requires children to be secured in protective seats until they are a year older to keep them safe in car accidents, according to a wkyt.com article.

Kentucky is finally matching surrounding states by increasing the upper end of booster-seat requirements a full year.

• The new law increases the height requirement for children to ride in booster seats to 57 inches (4 feet 9) and 8 years of age. Children under 8 but over 57 inches would be exempt.
• The former law mandated children under age 7 and between 40 and 50 inches tall be fastened in booster seats.
• Under the new guidelines, law enforcement officers can issue citations accompanied by a $30 fine without court costs. But instead of paying the fine, parents will be given the option of buying a booster seat.

Good for Families

State Rep. Steve Riggs of Louisville, who sponsored the legislation, said the new law is worth the effort because it will save lives and reduce injuries, including those related to seat belts.

Fifteen children, including four who were not restrained in child-safety seats, died in crashes across the state in 2014, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The agency reports child-restraint seats can prevent fatalities for infants 71 percent of the time during crashes and for toddlers 54 percent of the time. Child-restraint and booster seats cut the risk of injury by 60 percent compared to the use of seat belts.

Gov. Steve Beshear, when signing the booster-seat bill into law recently, pointed out that the new measure brings Kentucky in line with seven surrounding states and 31 states nationwide.

Many parents are guilty of allowing their children, once they graduate from child-restraint seats, to ride without a booster seat and simply put the seat belt across their lap and under an arm. This practice is illegal and puts the child in great danger and could cause an injury to the arm in an accident.

The law shouldn’t hurt families because they are required to place youngsters in booster seats already, Riggs notes, adding it only requires children to continue sitting in booster seats until they grow tall enough to wear seat belts properly.

Parents can choose from a couple of options for their children: a full seat or a cushion that makes the child sit up higher.

Car crashes are the number one cause of death for children over one in Kentucky, according to Dr. Susan Pollack, a pediatrician at Kentucky Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Kentucky coordinator. She notes the lives of Kentucky children are saved every year when they are properly restrained in child-restraint and booster seats and new requirements for better restraint will help guide parents in transporting children safely.

Federal Guidelines

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration makes these important safety reminders for parents:

• Failing to read child safety seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual section on seat belts could lead to death or serious injuries in case a child-restraint or booster seat is not properly secured or restrained.
• Children sitting in rear-facing seats should not ride in the front seat of vehicles with passenger-side airbags because they could injure the child if deployed.
• Children 12 and under should sit in a back seat away from the force of an airbag.

Too often, parents consider child-restraint and booster seats an inconvenience. Children also may consider themselves too grown up to ride in a booster seat.

The alternative, however, could be a serious injury or even death in case of a car accident.  If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by another motorist in Kentucky, talk to a Lexington car accident lawyer about your legal rights.

Parents should always put safety first when it comes to their children, and these new guidelines will steer Kentucky parents in the right direction.