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AAA Supports Stronger Booster Seat Law


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AAA Announces Support of Stronger Booster Seat Law

LOUISVILLE -- AAA East Central, serving over 375,000 AAA members in the state of Kentucky, has announced its support for House Bill 282, requiring booster seats to be used by children who are less than nine years old and are between 40 and 57 inches in height.

"Anyone transporting a child wants to make sure that child is as safe as possible", said Roger Boyd, director of public affairs for AAA East Central. "Passage of HB 282 takes another step forward in protecting our children."

Sponsored by Representatives Keith Hall, Hubert Collins, Charles Miller and Ruth Ann Palumbo, the bill has now passed in the Kentucky House and is now in the State Senate for consideration, where AAA encourages its passage.

Boyd added that if the bill becomes law, it would make Kentucky the third state to recognize the importance of extending booster seats to those under nine years of age and up to 57 inches tall, demonstrating Kentucky's proactive commitment to keeping its youth safe.

Kentucky's current booster seat law requires that children less than seven years old and between 40 and 50 inches tall must ride properly restrained in a federally approved booster seat.

"For a safety belt to do its job, it must fit properly on the child and only the proper use of a booster seat can make that happen," Boyd said. The click of the safety belt isn't enough," he added.

Booster seats help protect children from injury and death in crashes by ensuring that the adult seat belt fits properly. Proper fit reduces the risk of "lap belt syndrome," which occurs when the lap belt portion of the adult seat belt rides up into a child's abdomen, potentially causing internal injuries to vital organs.

"Stronger laws and better education will save additional young lives and prevent serious injuries," Boyd said.