Insurance Insights ~ February 2001

Pennsylvania Ranks "Poor" in Child Restraint Use Laws

Pennsylvania is one of 14 states to earn a "poor" rating for child restraint use laws from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The rating is the lowest possible presented by the IIHS in its review of 306 traffic safety laws. The final report, presented in the December 20, 2000 issue of "Status Report," also includes a "marginal" rating for our home state’s safety belt use laws.

Pennsylvania earns these ratings because its laws simply do not provide the fullest benefit to motor vehicle passengers. While the state’s child restraint use law covers children up to age 4 (who are required to be fastened in a child safety seat), the state’s seat belt use laws apply only to children riding in the front seat of a vehicle. In addition, the seat belt law is subject only to secondary enforcement. This means that a violator can be cited only if he or she is convicted of a primary offense, the reason he or she was stopped by police in the first place.

Therefore, under Pennsylvania law, a 4-year-old child may ride in a motor vehicle completely unrestrained as long as he or she is seated in the back seat. Of course, we would never recommend anyone allow this to happen. But, it’s completely legal, and the results are appalling:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 5 to 14.
• Crashes cause about one of every three deaths in this age group.
• 65 percent of children ages 4 to 8 who die in motor vehicle accidents are unrestrained.

The solution is simple: use the appropriate child restraint or seat belt. Just putting a child in the appropriate restraint can reduce the risk of death in a crash by 50 to 70 percent. Unfortunately, many parents look to state law for guidance, but find gaps such as those in Pennsylvania legislation.

IIHS recommends the following approach to child safety seats and safety belts:

• Children up to 1-year-old or about 20 pounds should be seated in a rear-facing seat, preferably in the back seat of the car.
• At 1-year-old and weighing at least 20 pounds, the child can be moved to a forward-facing child seat.
• When a child outgrows the forward-facing seat, a booster seat should be used until the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly. A seat belt fits properly when the shoulder and the lap portion sits low and snug across the hips, not over the stomach. The child should be able to sit against the seatback with his or her knees folded comfortably over the edge of the seat.

It’s up to all of us to promote safe behavior in a vehicle with our children. Make it a rule that cannot be broken to require all children in your vehicle to be seated and properly buckled in before the vehicle is put into gear. This rule must always be enforced, even for a short trip around the corner. Your child’s life is not worth risking in order to save a few seconds before starting out. Also make sure these rules apply in any other vehicle in which your child may be riding. It doesn’t matter what other kids parents think. Make sure your children know, understand, and follow your rules. Finally, make it a habit to always set a good example by making sure you are buckled at all times in the vehicle. Don’t take a "do as I say, not as I do" approach. Teaching your kids these safety rules early, and modeling those rules for them, will stay with them throughout their lives.

You can read the December 20, 2000 "Status Report" online and find additional child passenger safety information at the IIHS Web site, www.iihs.org.

INSURANCE INSIGHTS is an electronic newsletter published monthly (except for January and August) by G. C. Weimer Associates, Inc. Information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge and belief as of 2/1/2001. If you have a topic of interest for a future issue, e-mail us at info@gcwinsure.com.