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.

 

[johnpannell]

This Presidential candidate must now campaign in WA from a booster seat:

What about Robert Reich?

[sirdudly]

They’ve made their law, let’s see them enforce it.
Just another waste of paper that I’d disobey if put in such a situation.

[Stoat]

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

Congratulations!  You and your family have all truly been Blessed by God.

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

Fortunately, there are still opportunities for them to have quality lives.  Unfortunately, it usually requires expensive private or homeschooling (with no tax credits) and avoiding Washington as your state of residency.

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

Congratulations!  You and your family have all truly been Blessed by God.

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

[Fire_on_High]

That’s true. I got my full adult growth, or all but a small fraction of an inch at least, by the time I was a freshman in high school. When I looked into enlisting the recruiter had me measured at 5’1”. How long before I get these bozos trying to cram my fat wide @$$ into a nanny seat?

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

Do you like Bay Buchanan or not?

[HardStarboard]

>>>How did I (or anyone else over 30) ever survive childhood?<<<

It was easy back then...childhood ended at 12 years old. Now, its been redefined, by liberal handwringers, as ending at somewhere north of 28.

These days you got another 16 years to screw up your childhood!

[mtg]

Ok...A Oriental young lady of 15 1/2 and is in drivers ed...and will not reach 5 foot, if she is not driving must sit in a booster seat...right?

I was in collage at the age of 17...ok..I’m short, which means, I would be a junior in high School and in a booster seat...I don’t think so, thank you very much!!! I was working at 15 1/2...so I get out of a booster seat and go to work???

mtg wife

[REDWOOD99]

Who came up with this idea? The roller coaster monitor at Great America?

[Stoat]

Nuts

Rewind my life to exactly the same when I was 14, only put that body in the here and now in DC, and I’d still be in a booster seat

I would opt for the 'rewind my life' scenario but ONLY on the condition that I could retain the knowledge that I've gained since then.  If I had to do it all over "cold" again....no freaking way! 

BTW, the booster seat law wouldn't affect me because I was about 5'8" when I was 12, as I recall   :-)

(yes, stoats can be tall)

Nuts

Rewind my life to exactly the same when I was 14, only put that body in the here and now in DC, and I’d still be in a booster seat

[Suzy Quzy]

Maybe THIS will turn these little pre-liberals into conservatives!!! How humilliating....they can have abortions and still be in a booster seat!

[Suzy Quzy]

School busses don’t even have SEAT BELTS!

[steve86]

They do in some places, but not in my school district in Washington State.

[Suzy Quzy]

MOST do not.

[Stoat]

Ok...A Oriental young lady of 15 1/2 and is in drivers ed...and will not reach 5 foot, if she is not driving must sit in a booster seat...right?

Yes.  The nanny-state Safety Fascists are interested in insulting and embarrassing everyone, regardless of race, sex, creed, nationality or breakfast-foods preferences.

I was in collage at the age of 17...ok..I’m short, which means, I would be a junior in high School and in a booster seat...I don’t think so, thank you very much!!! I was working at 15 1/2...so I get out of a booster seat and go to work

If you fail to embarrass and demean yourself in the proscribed manner you will be pulled over, hogtied and thrown in the back of the patrol car like a sack of potatoes.   You will not be allowed a civil trial because you will have been judged a "danger to the safety of all" and you will be jailed for a thousand years.

Oh, and yes there WILL be a booster seat on the jail commode so that you will be continually reminded of the unspeakable sin that you have inflicted upon Society.

                                                                                                                      

[granite]

I tinted the windows on the Suburban so dark you can’t see in to combat these Nazi laws. We need a preemption bill on this lunacy.

An excellent idea, but I'm sure that you're aware that not all jurisdictions allow heavy window tinting, with violators faced with a hefty ticket. Electronic /optical testers are used by law enforcement in these areas. You're lucky that you live in an area that still allows such freedoms.

How about just letting them get real dirty?

[steve86]

It is strange but the newspaper web site now shows and in that sentence.

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

So the sweet sixteens have it.

[Stoat]

Who came up with this idea? The roller coaster monitor at Great America?

My most sincere hope is that roller coaster operators will be thinking quite a bit more clearly when they are on the job than whatever dimwit started the ball rolling on this law.

Lawmakers occasionally need to be reminded that laws have consequences, and when you pass ludicrous, unjust laws that mainly serve to insult people, there will be widespread noncompliance with the law in question as well as many others.  This is the sort of thing that causes decent people to lose faith in Government.

[Stoat]

Maybe THIS will turn these little pre-liberals into conservatives!!! How humilliating....they can have abortions and still be in a booster seat!

I agree that any sixteen year old who is forced to sit in a booster seat will carry the memory of that unspeakable humiliation far beyond the moment and well into his / her voting years.  Such a person will go out of their way to vote against anyone who even smells vaguely like one of these Safety Fascists.

I guess Planned Parenthood will have to make booster seats available in their "abortion services courtesy vans". 

I hate my State so much.  "sigh"

[Stoat]

School busses don’t even have SEAT BELTS!

FReeper ApplegateRanch very kindly provided clarification to this point at post #161.

The law specifically excuses school buses, for-hire vehicles, and apparently everyone except for families.

Those wingtip-shod lawyers are very crafty.

[steve86]

Yeah, the law excludes school buses and most commercial vehicles. But the point has been made that if they really cared about the chilluns’ then belts would be required in all those vehicles.