Advocates has sent a letter to members of the Joint Committee on Transportation in the Massachusetts legislature in support of Senate Bill (SB) 2422 to enhance protections for child passengers by requiring them to ride in rear seats until age 13. This legislation will save lives by ensuring children ride in the rear seats of vehicles consistent with the research based best practice.
Children are safest in vehicles when they are appropriately restrained in a rear seat. Front seats can be dangerous for children under 13 because air bags and seatbelts are designed for adults (in size and weight). Being in a rear seat reduces the risk of death for children by 46 percent in vehicles with passenger air bags. A literature review found that the risk of injury or death for children is 40 percent to 70 percent higher in front seats. The risk of fatal injury in rear seats is 41 percent lower for ages 1-4 and 30 percent lower for ages 5-12.
Read the full letter here.