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A new child restraint (seat belt) law will go into
effect July 1, 2005 in Indiana. Are you ready for the changes?
What is the new seat belt law?
Children between the ages of 4 and 7 will be
required to sit in booster seats and be restrained by both lap and
shoulder belts. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 will be required
to wear safety belts in most automobiles.
Nothing in the law regarding children up through
the age of 3 using child seats has been changed. In addition, there are
exceptions to the law, including taxis, buses, and some vehicles that
carry more than nine people.
For more information, call 1-800-KID-N-CAR or visit
http://www.in.gov/cji/child-safety/overview.html The full text of
the law is available at
http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2004/HE/HE1098.1.html
What are the reasons for the new law?
Among other information, the Indiana Criminal
Justice Institute website lists these facts:
Child safety seat use
plummets after age 3. In one study, one-half of 3 to 8 year old children
were not being placed in child safety or booster seats, as they should
be.
Small children (aged 2
to 5) who are placed in seat belts rather than child safety seats or
booster seats are 3.5 times more likely to be significantly injured in a
crash. They are four times more likely to receive a significant head
injury.
Unrestrained children
are three times more likely to be injured than those who are restrained.
Motor vehicle crashes
are the leading cause of death for children ages four to 14.
For more information, visit
http://www.in.gov/cji/media/campaigns/facts_buckling.html
What do you need?
Here are some quick links to top selling booster
seats on Amazon:
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