Credit: Wellesley Police Department
The state has recently increased safety precautions for children in car seats, requiring all children under the age of two to be rear-facing.
The bi-partisan legislation, which was signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, will go into effect August 12.
“It is crazy and it is so unsafe,” said Rep. Mike Schlossberg, who noted he’s observed children riding in cars completely unrestrained. “You can use [the law] as a lever to inform people of safer practices, in a sense that is what we are doing here. We are using the government to make sure parents or guardians better restrain their children.” Schlossberg, along with Sen. Pat Browne, sponsored the bill.
While the National Transportation Safety Board previously recommended children be restrained in rear-facing seats until they are at least one year of age, AAA recently updated its advice to members, suggesting children should be in rear-facing seats until they weigh 35 pounds, up from age one and 20 pounds.
The AAA Safe Seats 4 Kids campaign website notes that ‘rear-facing car seats, which support the head, neck and spine, are designed to distribute the crash forces across the shell of the car seat’, making children five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride in a rear-facing car seat.
For the first year, officers enforcing the new law will administer verbal warnings. After that, each violation carries a penalty of $75, plus costs and fees, raising the total to $125 according to the state Department of Transportation website.
Pennsylvania is the fourth state in the nation to enact rear-facing seat laws.
Child Safety Seat Recommendations, according to PennDOT
•Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
•Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
•To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
•Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
