Tougher carseat laws for California
A lot of parents will say this news has been a long time coming and I’m afraid I may be one of them. And, if only these ideas will spread to the rest of the states in our nation that could benefit by stricter child restraint regulations. I know barely a day goes by that I don’t see a car go by with a child sitting in the front seat without a carseat or jumping around in the backseat entirely unrestrained. It turns my stomach to see that, because I don’t think I would dare drive a block without my children properly restrained. It’s just not worth the risk.
California is adopting a new, stricter carseat law that would require children to not only be six years old and sixty pounds to be free of the carseat, but 8 years old and 57 inches tall. This is provided that Governor Schwartzenegger signs the bill on his desk.
I think this law is a fantastic idea, as statistics show that children ages 6 and 7 are more likely to die from a car accident than anything else. With a proper carseat, these children would be 59% less likely to be injured.
Even better than your average booster is the new Britax Regent which is a booster style carseat with a 5pt harness that will accommodate a child up to 80lbs and 53inches. That adds a lot of extra protection to set a parents’ mind at ease. I think I, for one, will be purchasing one of these carseats when the time comes regardless of what my state’s laws are.
