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.

 

[mysterio]

Vote for statists, get nanny state laws.

And it's not just the democrats anymore.

[wastedyears]

Just as an aside, short women give me hope of getting married some day.

[HungarianGypsy]

Not to mention the amount of room those booster seats take up in the car.

[HungarianGypsy]

And since when do seat belts not ‘adjust’ to the wearer? Even my six year old grandson is held tight by the seatbelt.

If nothing else there are seat belt adjusters on the market. They are also a lot cheaper than than the booster seats too.

[Stoat]

Nanny State Ping

[Stoat]

Ping

[Sue Perkick]

It looks to me like you have to be 4’9”. And they have to be in them until they’re 8 regardless of height. It is written in an odd way.

[Stoat]

By the time the lawyers, insurance companies, and big government are done with us, even adults will be required to ride in booster seats.

I'm guessing that the only reason why such a law hasn't already been passed is that it would cause an instant, armed revolt.  Children are far easier to push around.

[Sue Perkick]

I never hope to see one.

[ChocChipCookie]

School buses don’t have seat belts of any type either. It’s actually amazing that more kids don’t get injured or killed every year via school bus accidents.

[kerryusama04]

Between my 5 year old son and my 3 yeard old daughter, the price of a forward facing car seat in the state of MO doubled. We went from the swing-down types to the 5 point harness types with straps that are strong enough to tow an ATV out of the mud.

[Sue Perkick]

I remember standing in the front seat of a vehicle with a metal dash! LOL.

[Sue Perkick]

LOL

[kaboom]

I’m shocked by that picture. Neither girl is wearing protective headgear!

[ChocChipCookie]

Hey, when my mom was a kid, she rode to CA one year sitting in a lawn chair in the back of their pickup. Can’t get much safer than that! LOL

[toast]

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.

Here in Minnesota, windows tinted too darkly will get you a ticket.

[Sue Perkick]

That’s NEXT!

[mockingbyrd]

well in my school district, in Washington state ironically, there are no seat belts. Glad to know that you have at least one resposible child on your run....

[kerryusama04]

Here in MO you can do whatever you want to the back windows and the driver and passenger windows can only be 30%. We left CA to raise our kids here in God’s country for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, we have a shot at 5 more years of liberty, 10 if we can keep Blunt and company in office.