In the Massachusetts Legislature, Advocates supports Senate Bill (SB) 1657/House Bill (HB) 2603 to update the child occupant protection statute by adding a requirement that children remain in a rear facing safety seat until at least two years old and be in a rear facing or a forward facing child passenger restraint system after outgrowing rear facing safety seats. When children are properly restrained in a safety seat that is appropriate for their age and size, their chance of being killed or seriously injured in a car crash is greatly reduced.
The current child passenger safety law requires children ages seven and younger and under 57 inches in height to use a child safety seat. Since that law was enacted, new research has been conducted and best practices in child passenger protection have been updated to now call for requirements that take into account stages of physical development from infancy through early childhood. Updating the child safety seat law to be consistent with such and to provide specific metrics for use to parents and caregivers will help ensure our vulnerable child passengers are better protected.
Read letters to the Senate Ways and Means Committee here and House Ways and Means Committee here.
We previously urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to advance the legislation in April.