Yay! California has a new booster law!

[AnnieW625]

The new 8 yrs. old or 4'9" booster law went into effect on 1-1-12 in California and on the news last night they said that the CHP can find someone up to $500 for a child not being in a booster seat. Get to work CHP and help reduce CA's deficit, while keeping kids safe at the same time.

CHP FAQ (http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/child_safetyseat_faqs.html)

Can we make this a sticky for a while?

[Nooknookmom]

Yay, but now we have to get the pd's to actually ENFORCE it!! Back when DD1 was in 1st grade, the law changed from 4/40 (yikes!) to 6 or 60 and all the parents grumbled. My DD & my good friend's were the only harnessed ones. I was the only one harnessing at 9 (poor DD!).

Now it's the same scenario, I see so many parents letting 5 yo's jump in the back seat, and these are parents that CAN afford seats.

The few times I called the pd about someone with an unsafe or no seat at all, I was told they had better things to do. Which is sad!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Slightly OT but why is it either/ or? I am making ds1 stay in his booster till 4'9", even though he is well over 8yo, because I want to be sure the seat belt isn't hitting him across the neck. He's an averaged height kid so there are 8yos that are probably too short to safely ride without a booster, right? Maybe I have my booster seat facts wrong. :)

[KrisM]

Slightly OT but why is it either/ or? I am making ds1 stay in his booster till 4'9", even though he is well over 8yo, because I want to be sure the seat belt isn't hitting him across the neck. He's an averaged height kid so there are 8yos that are probably too short to safely ride without a booster, right? Maybe I have my booster seat facts wrong. :)

I think if it was 'and', you'd have issues the other way. Tall kids who aren't yet 8 years old. DS's friend will turn 8 in February and he is 110 pounds and 5'3" tall. If he had to squish into a booster, he'd have issues!

Probably taking the age out would be best. Do it at 4'9" regardless of age.

[legaleagle]

Kids should stay in boosters until they pass the 5 step test (http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm) for the actual seat they're sitting in (so depending on the car and seating position, sometimes they may need a booster and sometimes not).

[AnnieW625]

Do it at 4'9" regardless of age.

That is what we are planning on doing too. I estimate DD1 will be 10 or 11 by then. The story that I saw on the news showed a 9 yr. old in a regular seatbelt and the car seat tech from Childrens Hospital LA explain how it was suppose to fit. The tv station blogger then wrote a story for the we page and the 9 yr. old in question said he was much more comfortable in the booster and were glad they changed the law.

In my area a friend got pulled over by either the CHP or the local PD to do a car seat check on her so it is happening.

[Joolsplus2]

Finally... wish it were better (though there is a proper use clause, if anyone ever enforced it, you'd get a ticket if your kid didn't pass the five step test, period).
Wish there'd be nationwide 5 step test rules, rather than this confusing namby pamby-don't-upset-the-constituents array of ages. Many third rows fit kids properly well below 4-9, and many captain's chairs don't fit kids till upwards of 5 feet, so age and height are useless... better than nothing, but if they bother writing a law, it might as well be a GOOD one.
/rant

http://www.iihs.org/laws/mapchildrestraintagerequirements.aspx (state rules that make no sense when looked at as a whole)