LANSING – State Representatives Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe) and Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens) today announced that child-safety restraint bills, which will protect young passengers and make Michigan eligible to receive vital federal funds, were passed by the House of Representatives.
"A booster seat is four times more effective in preventing head injuries than a seat belt alone," Accavitti said. "This plan will help protect our children every time they climb into a car."
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths to children. In 2005, more than 2,300 Michigan children 8 and younger were injured in crashes, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. Motor vehicle crashes remained the largest single cause of injury-related deaths in 2005, resulting in 16 deaths for Michigan children age 8 and younger.
Under the plan, a manufacturer-certified booster seat would be required for children under the age of 8 and who are not taller than 4 feet, 9 inches. A violation would result in a civil infraction, which would be waived if the driver acquires a mandated booster seat prior to the court date.
The plan would also require drivers to securely place children under the age of 4 in child-restraint safety seats in the rear seat of a vehicle. The legislation also would remove the exemption for children who are being nursed. With its current child passenger safety law, Michigan is not eligible to receive over $1 million in federal funding that could be used to provide education and free booster seats to low-income families; this plan would bring the state in line with federal laws, allowing Michigan to apply for this funding.
"It's a tragedy that so many children die in car accidents because they are not properly secured," Miller said. "It's important that we strengthen our state's child-safety restraint laws."