Advocates has sent a letter to members of the North Carolina House of Representatives’ Committee on Judiciary 1 in support of provisions in House Bill (HB) 368 to establish protections for child passengers. However, we recommend making a few small, yet important, modifications to improve the bill and enhance the safety of child passengers.
HB 368 will update the current child passenger safety law by requiring children less than eight years old and less than 57 inches in height to be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system, requiring newborns to be in a rear-facing safety seat with a transition to a forward facing system based on manufacturer recommendations and adding metrics for seat belts. Advocates supports these upgrades and recommends adding specificity which is consistent with best practices identified by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others.
Additionally, the language on rear seats should be strengthened to adhere to the best practice of having children 12 years
old and younger properly restrained in rear seats.
Read the full letter here.