New Bill Would Enforce Stricter Car-Seat Regulations in Pennsylvania

What is the number one killer of children? Car crashes. They are responsible for the most fatalities in children ages 3-14. If you have a child, their safety is your number one priority. Seating you child properly in a car-seat can greatly help their chances of survival in the unfortunate event of a crash. A new bill, if approved by Governor Wolf, will ensure that parents take proper precautions when driving with children.

Car crashes cause 179,000 child injuries per year in the U.S. With this bill, Pennsylvania will be taking steps to limit these tragedies.

If approved, Pennsylvania will be the fourth state that requires children to remain in rear-facing car seats until age 2 or until they meet the highest height and weight requirements by the car-seat’s manufacturer. “Keeping your kids in rear-facing car-seats as long as possible…reduces their risk of injury and protects their life in the event of an accident,” said the bill’s author, Representative Mike Schlossberg. Current PA laws require a child to remain in a car seat until age 4, but do not state what direction they must face.

This bill will follow in the footsteps of The American Academy of Pediatrics, which revised its car-seat guidelines in 2011 to advise that children stay in rear-facing car seats until age 2. In the first year after the bill is passed, drivers will receive a warning for a violation of the law. The new law would cite drivers for a violation only if they were pulled over for a different offense, making it a secondary offense.

Keep Your Children Safe

According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, there are many factors that go into car-seat safety, including:

• Proper installation of the car-seat
• Reading the manual of the specific car-seat brand
• Proper way to dress infants for safety in car-seats
• Knowing when to switch to a forward-facing car-seat and how to properly install it
• Knowing when an adult seat belt fits correctly

Injured In a Car Crash?

Sometimes crashes are unavoidable, due to the carelessness of another driver. If you or your child has been hurt in a car crash that wasn’t your fault, you have a right to be compensated. Unsure if you qualify for car crash compensation? Contact us, at Lowenthal & Abrams, for a free consultation with an experienced attorney, today.