DEARBORN, Mich., March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AAA Michigan applauds Gov. Jennifer Granholm for signing the state's new mandatory booster seat law today (March 27). The legislation requires booster seats for children aged 4-8 who are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. The law is effective July 1 and carries a $65 fine for those who don't comply.
Parents and caregivers looking for more information on the state's new booster seat law need look no further than their nearest AAA branch office.
According to Jack Peet, manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan, beginning April 21, AAA branch locations statewide will offer a free "booster seat kit" that will contain kid- and parent-friendly materials explaining the ins and outs of booster seat use. In addition, AAA branch locations will host child safety seat inspections in the coming months. For more information, including a branch locator, visit AAA.com or check the latest issue of AAA Living magazine.
"AAA wants parents and care providers to be aware of the important role that age and size appropriate child passenger and booster seats play in keeping our children safe," said Peet.
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for Michigan children ages 14 and under. In 2005, 7,188 Michigan children ages 0-15 were injured and 84 children were killed in crashes.
In 2004, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) conducted a statewide direct observation study of booster seat use. UMTRI found that only 8.6 percent of Michigan children ages 4-8 were using a booster seat, 48.8 percent of 4-8 year old children were belted incorrectly in an adult safety belt, 5.1 percent were in a child restraint when they should have been in a booster, and 37.5 percent were completely unrestrained.
Correctly used, booster seats can reduce the risk of neck, spine and abdominal injuries for children aged 4-7 by 59 percent. In addition, child restraint laws have been shown to increase use rates.
Parents and caregivers of children are 43 percent more likely to put children in car booster seats once they learn how important booster seats are to child safety and how easy they are to use, according to a 2006 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
According to AAA, the Foundation's findings about the importance of an education component increasing booster seat usage have significant implications for state policymakers. AAA says it is crucial to pass booster seat legislation and connect it with educational and outreach components such as car seat clinics.