Child Passenger Safety
Change to Oregon Booster Seat Law - January 2012
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A change to the Oregon Child Seat Law goes into effect January 2012. House Bill 3590 signed by Governor John Kitzhaber on June 9, 2011 will allow continued use of child seats up to the highest weight limit allowed by the seat manufacturer, as an alternative to boosters, for children over forty pounds but under age eight or less than 4'9" tall.
Current law states that once a child reaches weights forty pounds, the child must be restrained in a booster seat to age eight or 4'9" tall. However, a child safety seat with a five-point harness will restrain a child more securely than a booster seat. The upper weight limits of harness-type seats have been steadily increasing (beyond a former 40 pound maximum) to accommodate much higher weights as children are getting larger, younger (some up to 60 or 80 pounds). The revised law allows drivers the choice of continuing the use of the five-point harness seat beyond 40 pounds and up to the maximum weight rating allowed by the manufacturer - as an alternative to moving into a booster.
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A secondary reason for this change was to prevent officers from citing citizens for not using boosters when they are using a seat with a harness system rated to over 40 pounds. . Although this hasn't been reported to be a widespread issue, as more officers become trained as Child Passenger Safety Technicians and the public becomes better educated, the practicality of enforcement of safety belt laws and how our laws relate to national "best practice" has come under increasing scrutiny. Many states have been routinely upgrading their laws to match best practice.
Download the updated Oregon CPS Laws flyer from our Education Material page.
Drivers Admit to Driving with Child in Improperly Fitting Safety Belt
From Idaho Transportation Department's Quick Notes
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Though no state laws currently require children older than eight years old to use booster seats in the car, a new study shows that more than half of these children would benefit from using one. Note that Oregon law does include that, "Proper fit" means the lap belt of the safety belt or safety harness is positioned low across the thighs and the shoulder belt is positioned over the collarbone and away from the neck".
According to the University of Michigan report, 78 percent of drivers admit that on most trips, their child passengers ride with an improperly fitting safety belt, a potentially deadly action that can easily be solved when children use a belt-positioning booster seat.
The study, which surveyed 891 drivers in 2007, found that many people rely solely on safety belts to protect 4 to 9-year-old passengers, despite the fact that most children in this age range are too short to fit in vehicle seat belts designed for adults.
Placing a child in an adult safety belt prematurely can cause shoulder and lap belts to fit improperly, researchers warn.
"It's alarming that over 70 percent of drivers admitted that their child's belt did not meet these standards." says Michelle Macy, M.D., M.S., a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. "Many parents may not even be aware of proper safety belt positioning and may not understand the serious and potentially permanent injuries that can result from improper belt fit."
"A child's height is a better indicator than age for when they can be transitioned from a booster seat to safety belt." Macy says. Children should be at least 57 inches - 4'9" in height before they stop using a booster seat.
"Fifty-seven inches is the average height of an 11 year old." says Macy, the lead author of the study. "Those parents relying on a safety belt to protect children under nine years-old are jumping the gun by two or more years."
Even at age 9, many children's thighs are too short to sit in most vehicle seats without slumping, leading to poor lap belt fit. They're often irritated by the shoulder belt rubbing their neck, and will put the belt behind their back or arm, negating the safety benefits of the shoulder belt.
This study helps emphasis the messages we have been promoting in Oregon. Our efforts have increased the use of booster seats from 34% in 2005 to 60% in 2011.
Read the full report at:http://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859%2811%2900232-4/abstract.