Hey Ohioans, Booster seat law goes into effect

MommyToAshley wrote: Our booster seat law used to only go up to 4 years/40 lbs, but the new law that just went into effect states that your child must be in a booster seat until 4'9" tall or 8 years of age. It's no longer just a recommendation, it's law now. There's a fine, just like the seatbelt law for disobeying.

Personally, I am happy to see the law go into effect. I often take Ashley's friends with me in the car and carry an extra booster seat for that reason. Most of her friends state that they don't use a booster any more, but I insist on it in my car. And, Ashley is usually the tallest among her friends and she's not 4'9" yet.

mckayleesmom replied: Holy Moley...I'm 1 inch away from needing a booster seat...Thank goodness I'm old.

coasterqueen replied: That's great, Dee Dee.

IL has that law already, for many years now. Glad to see other states doing it now, too.

I'm sure our girls aren't far from the height, but I know with Kylie I will more than likely keep her there until age 8. I was thinking our state law is BOTH height and age, but not sure. I know Kylie is 51 inches tall now.

jcc64 replied: NY has the 8 yo or 80lb booster seat law, though I'm shocked to see that many people disregard it with their own kids!!! Corey--she's still in a toddler seat, believe it or not, mainly b/c she's so short that the seat belt with a booster still hits her square in the middle of her neck. She's not happy about it, but as lenient as I am about other stuff, car safety's non-negotiable.

mckayleesmom replied:
Mckaylee and Russell are still in Toddler seats too...Mckaylee will be 6 in a couple weeks. They are both still pretty short and I used my moms booster seat for my nephew in Arizona for Mckaylee once and I didn't like it at all.

Kaitlin'smom replied: my sis and I were just talking about this. I dont mind it at all. I was using the reason before cause the seat belt hit her wrong and now I tell her its the law.

mom21kid2dogs replied:

MommyToAshley replied:
Last time Ashley was measured, she was 54". But, I think she's gone through a growth spurt since then. I am pretty sure the law here is not both, but either 4'9" or 8 years of age. But, maybe I should clarify that as I was just going by the newspaper article.

jakesmommy08 replied: I just want to know, why is it the law for us to make our kids wear seat belts but on a school bus they dont have to???? I always make sure my son has his seat belt on and he always reminds me..lol.... i just feel like they should have to on a bus too....

MommyToAshley replied:
I agree... safety is non-negotiable.

It's odd that the NY law goes by the criteria of weight. I think it makes more sense to have the law written with a criteria for height rather than weight for the very reason you mentioned with Corey. The whole purpose of the booster is so that the seat belt falls in the right place. You can be 80 lbs and still not be tall enough. I understand using the criteria of weight for babies in infant car seats, but it doesn't make much sense for the booster laws.

stella6979 replied:
I don't know that answer to that, but it is one of the main reasons my kids will never ride the school bus.

coasterqueen replied:
I did check and ours is "or", not "and".

coasterqueen replied:
There are numerous studies out there that state the risk is greater to have all kids on a bus wear seat belts than it is for them not to. Buses do have some seatbelts on them for the younger, tinier kids. I don't have specific studies, but I do know my workplace lobbies for not having them on buses due to the risks being higher.

luvmykids replied: The car seat laws in TX are pretty pitiful....over age 5 or over 36" they don't have to legally be in a car seat or booster, the DPS "urges" parents to continue use after that age/height is met but doesn't require it. They've been trying to pass the same law as OH since about 2006, I wonder why it keeps getting turned down?

Crystalina replied: I thought this went into effect a couple months ago.

I also heard that you will not get pulled over (as of yet) just because your kids are not in a booster. They have to pull you over for something else first. Not like that would be hard really.

I asked a Trooper friend of mine about it and he had no clue what I was talking about.

Neither of my older two have the seats yet.

stella6979 replied:
What a coincidence! Here we are talking about seatbelts on buses and I found this just now on CNN.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19125421/detail.html

Calimama replied:
Ditto!!!

My2Beauties replied: Yeah they've done studies that say it's actually riskier for them be in a seatbelt on a bus...I don't know the specifics though. I've heard it on CNN before the last time there was a bad bus crash. Anywhoo I think that is a great law. Hanna sits in a booster seat and it goes across her chest just right and she will remain in one for a long time to come. I've also noticed that many of the kids in daycare her age and stuff do not use boosters. I wonder why

coasterqueen replied: There are risks on both sides of seat belts on buses. First off, even if they put seat belts on buses, it will be the child's responsibility to get into that seat belt. The logistics are too much for a bus driver to be responsible as to whether each child is seat belted, and seat belted properly. As well as how can a bus driver be responsible if a child undoes their seat belt at any one point in time. Also, thinking about all crash situations - yes there are risks not having a seat belt on, but what happens if a bus crashes and tips over and God forbid may be at risk of blowing up. Who is going to unbelt all those children before it explodes? What happens if the bus goes down in a big ditch or an area of deep water...who is going to unbelt all those children before they drown? Sure, on buses with older kids this probably wouldn't be a problem, but for young kids this could be. Then there is the issue of how well is a seatbelt going to help a very small child who would normally be in a 5 point harness or booster seat? Seat belts on children who should actually be in a booster can do MORE damage to the body in an accident. There are just a TON of factors for the good and bad on both sides of the issue. Now the "short buses" like the one Megan rides on to school for PreK, they ALL have seatbelts on that bus. The longer buses (which she rides home from school) does not have seat belts, except the 1st few seats in the front, and that is where most bus drivers put the smaller kids.

wcs40110 replied: I was reading the headline going GOOD. Michigan has had it for awhile.