AAA Minnesota/Iowa Supports Strengthening Child Restraint Laws

Guest Editorial by: Jeff Ogden, president of AAA Minnesota/Iowa

BURNSVILLE, Minn., Jan. 7 -- Most people do not realize automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of children in the United States and that many of these deaths could be prevented. Motor vehicle crashes killed a staggering total of 1,543 child occupants 14 years of age and under in 2002, and injured 263,000 others.

In Minnesota, the current law states that children under age 4 must be in an approved child safety seat, and children ages 4 to 11 must be restrained, but allows that restraint to be an adult seat belt. Current legislation can give parents the false impression that after this age, children are safely restrained in a seat belt.

Our nation's transportation systems and the vehicles that travel them were not originally designed and built with children in mind. As an example, seat belts were designed to restrain adults, thus putting children at a greater risk of injury or death. Given that we are now a more mobile society and children are traveling more than ever, it is an enormous challenge to adapt our transportation system and vehicles to ensure our children's safety.

At AAA Minnesota/Iowa, we support the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, which calls for the following changes to Minnesota state statute: close its gap by requiring children ages 9 and older to be properly restrained in all seating positions; and require children ages 4 to 8 to be properly restrained in a child safety seat, booster seat or safety belt, whichever is appropriate according to child safety seat manufacturer's weight and height requirements.

AAA Minnesota/Iowa believes educating the public about the proper use of safety seats and restraints for all children, and closing loopholes that exist state laws, are key to preventing child passenger injuries and deaths. We need you to contact your legislators and urge them to vote in favor of strengthening child passenger safety laws so that our children live to experience their future.

Jeff Ogden is the president of AAA Minnesota/Iowa, which includes more than 720,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 46 million members in the United States and Canada.