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.

 

[null and void]

But I know, I’d rather see

[Sue Perkick]

Than be one!

[NavyCanDo]

“I remember standing in the front seat of a vehicle with a metal dash!”

And don’t forget yelling “SHOTGUN” for dibs on the front seat.

[null and void]

*smooch*

[Sue Perkick]

;)

[Terpin]

We’ve gone from sleeping on the rear dash of an old Bonneville to putting teenagers in booster seats. I think I’m going to wrap my kids in bubble wrap before I take them to school tomorrow. Might as well get ahead of the curve.

[Sue Perkick]

It’s a miracle we survived. :)

[Stoat]

I’m wondering if this will require taxi cabs to provide booster seats for eligible children, and to measure or weigh children with a portable scale prior to allowing them in the cab?

If not, why not?

How about trains?

City buses?

[blues_guitarist]

[Grammy]

The law of unintended consequences means that there will be more and more large suv’s sold. You can’t fit more than 2 kids in the back seat with these stupid boosters, and they are not allowed in the front seat, so what is left if you have more than 2 kids? And heaven forbid if you need to take a friend or 2 with you!!!!

[Freedom4US]

Why is it, I wonder - that kids have to be bundled up like an astronaut to take a spin in the family car, but hey - put ‘em on a School Bus, and it’s just a bench, no seat belt and a 9 foot metal ceiling.

[DesScorp]

The People’s Republic of Washington. If you vote for socialists, don’t be surprised to have socialism imposed on every part of your life.

[Stoat]

We’ve gone from sleeping on the rear dash of an old Bonneville to putting teenagers in booster seats. I think I’m going to wrap my kids in bubble wrap before I take them to school tomorrow. Might as well get ahead of the curve.

I remember one of the films in High School Driver's Ed which featured a particularly enthusiastic parent who had a Checker car because it was so safe, and required both of his daughters to wear motorcycle helmets whenever they were in the car (and he did as well).

He honked at people when there was any conceivable chance that they might be a hazard, such as people walking near the road ("they might stumble and fall in front of the car")

The film acknowledged that this was an 'extreme' attitude, and our instructor derided it as being 'a bit silly'.

I'm guessing that such derisive editorializing is no longer permitted in this hideous Orwellian world which is increasingly being run by Safety Nazis.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I AM SO SICK OF ALL THESE !$#@$!@$@#$!@# SAFETY NAZIS!

THANK GOD I grew up in the LAST era to allow the children to run free!

[Stoat]

Why is it, I wonder - that kids have to be bundled up like an astronaut to take a spin in the family car, but hey - put ‘em on a School Bus, and it’s just a bench, no seat belt and a 9 foot metal ceiling.

The flaw in your statement is that it is derived from a logical, sane and rational perspective; and as such is not part of the Socialist Safety Nazi Agenda,

[the OlLine Rebel]

Ah, but what of the places where TINTING is outlawed?

(Perhaps not in your home, but here...)

[kerryusama04]

The law of unintended consequences means that there will be more and more large suv’s sold. You can’t fit more than 2 kids in the back seat with these stupid boosters, and they are not allowed in the front seat, so what is left if you have more than 2 kids? And heaven forbid if you need to take a friend or 2 with you!!!!

You can fit a booster, an infant rear facing seat, and a toddler forward facing seat in the second row of a Suburban or presumably a Tahoe, but you still have to have an SUV to do it! Maybe a towncar would be wide enough, but the gas mileage would be the same.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

One of the school safety officers wrote an editorial in our local paper, answering the question... “What is the safest way for parents to transport their children to school?” The school in question was on a busy road with an awkward intersection that was accident-prone.

The safety officer said the children were statistically safer in the bright-yellow school bus than in Mom’s SUV. MANY parents were outraged. They wanted to shuttle their children to and from school.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Actually, it might work out well. This girl in the photo is going to be so effing pissed at liberalism when she turns 18, she’ll never vote for Dems.

[Stoat]

The People’s Republic of Washington. If you vote for socialists, don’t be surprised to have socialism imposed on every part of your life.

The few remaining sane folks here have tried for decades to get rid of the Baghdad Jim McDermotts, the Patty "Osama builds nice roads and schools" Murray and a raft of others, but they are kept in office by an increasing number of hysterical, passionate Leftists who have ruined our State.

It's very depressing when things keep getting worse despite all of our efforts (and there are many passionate, activist FReepers in Washington)

It's no fun at all here, let me assure you.  We don't call it The People's Republic of Washington for no reason.