Representative Steinberg Sponsors Child Safety Bill -- booster seat law

From the House Dems:

Representative Richard L. Steinberg (D-Miami Beach) is proud to announce that he will join Senator Thad Altman (R-Melbourne) in reintroducing a child passenger safety bill for the 2010 legislative session. The bill will require children ages 4 through 7 to sit in a booster seat when riding in a car. Representative Steinberg plans to introduce the child passenger safety legislation in honor of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Child Passenger Safety Week (September 12-18, 2009).

This week, the National Transportation Safety Board urged Florida to join the rest of the country by passing booster seat legislation. Florida is one of only three states that have not enacted a booster seat law. Booster seats are used to position a child in a seat so that a seat belt can work properly to save a child’s life.

During the past 10 years in Florida, there have been 1,928 non-fatal injuries resulting in hospitalization and 175 deaths in motor vehicle crashes among children ages 4 through 7, according to the Florida Department of Health. Booster seats lower the risk of injury to children in motor vehicle crashes by 59 percent compared to the use of seat belts alone.

“Florida’s children deserve to be protected from serious injury while riding in a motor vehicle,” said Representative Steinberg. “Currently, Florida requires adults to be properly restrained in motor vehicles, yet it does not afford proper protection for our children. I hope that my colleagues in the Legislature join me in passing this important legislation to prevent unnecessary deaths and injuries to children.”