Parents to Put Children Over 9 in Booster Seats

New Law Requires Parents to Put Children Over 9 in Booster Seats

Over 18,000 children were put into Ohio emergency rooms, because of automobile accidents, and cases of “seat belt syndrome,” or spinal cord injuries, due to poorly fitting adult seat belts, that do not adequately protect children in a crash. So, on December 17, lawmakers said that from now on, children younger than 9 years old, or who are under four feet, nine inches tall will be required to ride in a child safety seat. Until now, only children and toddlers under four years old and 40 pounds had to be in boosters.

Parents are now worrying about how they are going to explain to their elementary school child that he or she must ride in a booster seat. The lawmakers voted down the idea that child passengers without booster seats could be a primary offense. This means that drivers cannot be pulled over, simply because their child is not properly restrained. However, if a driver is pulled over for a smaller offense, such as speeding or disobeying a traffic signal, he or she can receive additional fines for not having the child in a booster seat. In the future, this law may create some confusion.

If you feel that you have received a fee that you should not have to pay, contact the office of Funkhouser Law today!