Washington State: Kids could be stuck in booster seats until 16

The Everett Herald ^ | May 11, 2007 | Scott Pesznecker and Melissa Slager

[Stoat]

Thousands of Washington children will be forced back into car and booster seats next month when a change to state law takes effect.

On June 1, children will have to stay in the safety seats until they are at least 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

Violators face a $112 ticket.

About half of all children between 6 to 8 years old will be affected by the change, according to safety advocates.

"It's going to be a big challenge for those kids who have been out of the booster seat to get back," said Shawneri Guzman of Snohomish County SAFE KIDS, a nonprofit group that works to prevent childhood injuries.

The change means parents such as Renee Shonko, 44, of Lake Stevens must break the news to their children.

Daughters Lexi, 8, and Karly, 10, aren't exactly thrilled to be going back into booster seats.

"I don't like it," said Karly, who at 4-foot-8 (with shoes on) is taller than most of her classmates. But that's not tall enough for a seat belt to fit her properly.

Currently, children are required to ride in booster seats until they're 6 years old or weigh 60 pounds.

The changes also require children to use booster seats until they are 16 years old if a vehicle's seat belt does not properly fit the child.

Another change requires children younger than 13 to ride in the back seat whenever possible. They're allowed to ride in the front only if the vehicle has no lap-and-shoulder belts in the back seat.

 

[xsmommy]

ok the true test of twindom will be gwen stefani and tonya harding...

[Hegewisch Dupa]

you have to qualify that as over-a-decade ago Tonya

[EGPWS]

Thousands of Washington children will be forced back into car and booster seats next month when a change to state law takes effect.

A prelude to parents seeking government assisted help to control their children's reactions to being tied down will be the next step.

Gee, I see a pattern forming in the madness.

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

Tonya was HOT!!! Sad to see her slide and hit bottom , but she was one of my faves back then. Gwen is hot-AND so is Pink. ;-D

[Hegewisch Dupa]

You are a DUDE! High-five me. By the way - XS totally qualifies for the HOT list, even without the ‘tude adjustment so badly needed....

[xsmommy]

i am still not convinced he isn’t you....

[EGPWS]

I agree with all of the other posters in regard to how did any of us survive without the nanny state telling us how to live our lives.

But then who are we to expect to enjoy life when it could be dangerous and detrimental to our personal health as perceived by government but not the individual taking the risk?

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

Trust me! Tonya Was Robbed! By that toothy Disney witch. Ugh. BTW, where is SHE now? Woops-library gettin’ ready to close-later! Start a ‘hottie’ thread! LOl

[Badeye]

Tiny tommy daschle requires one to drive....

[kerryusama04]

kerryusama04 is recommending Missouri at #154 here, and I have heard many FReepers say glowing, appreciative things about Texas. Yesterday on his radio show Mark Levin said some extremely complimentary things about South Carolina, and so I know that there are other options.

Don't get me wrong, MO has its problems. We did just switch from the Honorable Jimt Talent (R) to a leftist Claire McKaskille (D) in the Senate as well as ammend our Constitution to allow cloning. But, at the same time, we defeated a tobacco tax. I am hoping that conservatives can migrate to the red states in droves prior to the next census so that the electoral colllege power starts to drift away from the coasts.

[ChildOfThe60s]

bump

[Larry Lucido]

Agreed. Just more minefields to lay for folks to become “lawbreakers,” opening the door to removal of other rights later on.

[OldEagle]

I’m glad you asked. Let’s see.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Harassment? I hope you’re kidding.

[arthurus]

Liberals do not actually care about SUVs or booster seats. Liberals care about telling people how to live and about power in general.

[Bigh4u2]

“Thanks....And here I was prepared to get all high and mighty about moving here from WA state last month... :(”

Bummer ain’t it?

That’s one of the reasons I’m thinking of moving OUT of New York.

Maybe North Carolina. Not sure though.

[Bigh4u2]

“No the Or would mean a kid 8 years old *or* 4’9 does not have to wear the belt. “

Yeah. Thought about that after I posted. But it doesn’t matter because I think the law is ‘and’. I can’t see any other reason that the two girls ,ages 8 and 10, would be in boosters.

[N3WBI3]

I could not agree more..

[elkfersupper]

I have a daughter age 24, a son age 22, a grandson age 11 months and another on the way.

I feel sorry for all of them for the world my generation has handed them.

[johnpannell]

Are booster seats required on school buses? This is beyond stupid!

I'm sure they're not. Most school buses don't even have basic seat belt... they could be used as weapons, don't you know...

So we have two sets of rules: One for the citizen-slaves and the other for Big Brother.