Parents like new child booster seat law

The month of January has come and gone but California’s new Child Passenger Safety Law is just picking up steam. It is expected to impact more than 1.1 million children across the state and went into effect Jan. 1.

While the old law required a child under 6 years of age who weighed less than 60 pounds to ride in the back seat of a vehicle in a child passenger safety restraint, the new law requires children to ride in a car or booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, or until they reach their eighth birthday.

Failure to use a proper child restraint seat can cost between $479 and $519 if the driver is cited within city limits. Citation fees, however, vary by jurisdiction, according to Deanna Jasso, court administrative manager for Tulare County Superior Court.

California Highway Patrol Officer Stefanie Buck, who is also the child passenger safety technician for the Porterville-area CHP, said that since the new law came into effect, the biggest concern raised by parents has been that most booster seats have a maximum weight limit of 100 pounds.

“By the time a child is 8 years old or 4 foot 9, they’re nearing that, but there are booster seats that go above that and it’s not impossible to fit them in it,” Buck said.

The other major concern has been of less gravity, she said.

“We’ve had a lot of people say, ‘My child’s been out of a seat for a year and now they’re mad they have to go back to a booster seat,’” Buck said.

Such is the case for several Porterville residents who responded to a Recorder Facebook question posted Jan. 17 asking, “Do you have a 6- or 7-year old that has to get back into a booster seat? If so, how do you feel about the law change?”

Beth Walker-Armstrong replied, “My baby has to go back into the booster after almost a year without it, she said, ‘Curses, new laws, I’m a big girl’, but I’m relieved. I feel safer with her in the car seat.”

Rachelle Rupert wrote, “It sucks to have to make your kids feel like they are being punished because of the new laws. I have a 7-year-old who is so upset that she has to go back into a booster for three months until she turns eight. After she was done crying and arguing how she was a big kid, I explained that big kids had to be safe too. It was a hard sell but what can we as parents do? I see the safety aspect of it. However, as kids, we didn’t even wear seatbelts, let alone use car seats. So when she asks me if I had to do it too I just smile and say, ‘a law is a law.’”

Yesenia Valencia, mother of 3-year-old Julian, said Thursday she was unaware of the new law.

Valencia said he has kept Julian in a booster seat because he didn’t fit in a regular car seat — he weighs 50 pounds.

“But I agree totally with the new law. Before with the weight limit, it was a little more stringent, especially when they’re big kids for their age like mine,” she said. “I knew the law was going to change, it was only a matter of time.”

Safety, Buck said, is the number one priority.

“An upset child is not real hazardous.” she added.

While most parents’ concerns zero in on weight or an upset child, another issue is the cost.
Booster seats can vary in price — from $17.99 to $379.99 at Target.

Paul Tuttle, store manager of the Porterville Target store, said the store has not experienced an increase in booster seat sales.

Whether it’s due to the cost can be disputed, but if the price tag is an issue, there is a program available for low-income families through Children’s Health and Safety Services of Tulare County, Buck said.

For more information or to register for the program, call 688-6853.

The local California Highway Patrol office also offers free child safety-seat installation lessons by appointment only.

Contact Denise Madrid at 784-5000, ext. 1047 or dmadrid@portervillerecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @DeniseMadrid_