|
{"source_url": "http://seattlemedium.com", "url": "http://seattlemedium.com/new-child-car-booster-seat-laws-go-effect-jan-1/", "title": "New Child Car And Booster-seat Laws Go Into Effect Jan. 1", "top_image": "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/seattle-medium-holder_200-150x150.jpg", "meta_img": "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/seattle-medium-holder_200-150x150.jpg", "images": ["http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rainier-scholars.jpg", "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/medium-website-logo31.jpg", "http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8aebbf3083fd3cd65d655669b535dd91?s=60&d=mm&r=g", "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Andrea-Chatard-Web-Ad-final-cb.jpg", "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/seattle-medium-holder_200-150x150.jpg", "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-NW-School.gif", "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/seattle_medium_bts_bannerV2.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "As of Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations for car-seat and booster-seat will take effect in the state of Washington.\n\nUnder the revised law:\n\nChildren under age 2 must use rear-facing car seats. Children should remain in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat.\n\nChildren ages 2 to at least 4 years should use a forward-facing, age-appropriate child harness seat \u2013 and do so as long as possible, until they reach the seat\u2019s height and weight limits. Many seats can accommodate children up to 65 pounds.\n\nChildren older than 4 but shorter than 4\u20199\u201d who have outgrown the child harness seat must use booster seats. Most kids will need a booster seat until 10 to 12 years of age.\n\nWhen children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should use lap and shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.\n\nAs with the previous law, drivers can be ticketed if a passenger under 16 is not using the correct car seat, booster seat, or seat belt based on their age, height or weight.\n\n\u201cThese changes will help parents protect their children on the road,\u201d said Dr. Beth Ebel, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and member of the Washington State American Academy of Pediatrics. \u201cThis change brings us in line with current best thinking about keeping kids safe.\u201d\n\nThe changes align Washington state\u2019s law with the most recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued in 2011.\n\nEbel, who studies transportation safety at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and cares for injured children at Harborview Medical Center, has testified in support of a stronger law for three years.\n\n\u201cHarborview is the only Level 1 regional trauma center for children who have life-threatening injuries. Catastrophic car-crash injuries we\u2019ve seen to children\u2019s brains, organs and nervous systems might have been preventable had the child been buckled in the correct car seat.\u201d\n\nIn head-on crashes, there are significantly fewer serious injuries and fatalities when toddlers are in rear-facing seats, which better protect their still-developing heads and necks. In older children, poorly fitted seatbelts are associated with injuries to the spine, intestines, head and neck. Ebel said she regularly sees kids 8 to 12 years of age \u201cwith completely preventable injuries, even at relatively slow speeds like 30 miles per hour.\u201d\n\nSuch injuries can be prevented by the proper booster seat, which correctly positions the seat belt against the child until he or she is tall enough to use the vehicle\u2019s seat belt alone.\n\n\u201cWhen I talk to parents about child safety, they say, \u2018Why isn\u2019t this the law?\u2019\u201d Ebel said. \u201cNow that Washington law is updated, more families will follow these guidelines and more kids will come home safe. At the end of the day, that\u2019s what\u2019s important.\u201d\n\nMore information on car seats and booster seats, including a directory of free seat checks in Washington state, is available at www.boosterseat.org.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": ["Seattle Medium", "About The Author"], "publish_date": "Wed Jan 1 09:08:51 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SeattleMediumFavicon.jpg", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;", "generator": "WordPress 5.1.4", "og": {"title": "New Child Car And Booster-seat Laws Go Into Effect Jan. 1 - The Seattle Medium", "description": "As of Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations for car-seat and booster-seat will take effect in the state of Washington. Under the revised law: Children under age 2 must use rear-facing car seats. Children should remain in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by \u2026", "image": {"identifier": "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/seattle-medium-holder_200.jpg", "width": 200, "height": 200}, "locale": "en_US", "type": "article", "url": "http://seattlemedium.com/new-child-car-booster-seat-laws-go-effect-jan-1/", "site_name": "The Seattle Medium"}, "article": {"tag": "Washington state", "section": "Local", "published_time": "2020-01-01T09:08:51-08:00"}, "twitter": {"card": "summary", "description": "As of Jan. 1, 2020, new regulations for car-seat and booster-seat will take effect in the state of Washington. Under the revised law: Children under age 2 must use rear-facing car seats. Children should remain in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by [\u2026]", "title": "New Child Car And Booster-seat Laws Go Into Effect Jan. 1 - The Seattle Medium", "image": "http://seattlemedium.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/seattle-medium-holder_200.jpg"}}, "canonical_link": "http://seattlemedium.com/new-child-car-booster-seat-laws-go-effect-jan-1/"} |
