Reunion with senator!

lourdes

Well-known member
I live in Puerto Rico, the current car seat law stated that children 4 years or older can ride without a child restrain, I didn't know that, I want to do something about it, a senator here is trying to change the law and extended to 9 years but it doesn't talk about the use of booster to young of rear facing, right now babies go FF at 1 or even younger, I was able to get an appointment with this senator, I know what all of you say here but I need to go with facts, I need all your help, please send me all the information that you can, I know that a lot of people talk here of studies and the AAP changing the recommendations about RF but when I try to find something I can find anything, I need HELP! You can send me the info to my inbox or I can send my email. ANY HELP WILL BE GREAT!!!!
 
ADS

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I think it's great that you're being so proactive!

Just so you know, most states don't have laws that specify when kids can go forward-facing. Usually there's a "proper use" clause, meaning that parents have to follow their seat's instructions. That keeps people from (legally) forward-facing before a year, but, like I said, the age itself generally is not written into the law.

It's unlikely that any state will (any time soon) make a law requiring rear-facing to/beyond 2, especially when so many seats do allow it before then.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that while I would definitely share information on why rear-facing is so important, I wouldn't make that the focus of the meeting. I would be more concerned with getting the law changed to require child restraints to 8 or 4'9" or something. (That's more in line with what the more progressive states have done.)
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
That, plus a proper use clause.

I'm sure this is controversial, but as much as I care about child passenger safety, I also care about parental rights. I don't think I'd support laws requiring RF to 3 or harness until 5.5, even though I would strongly encourage parents to do so.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
What they said about the laws.

I wouldn't push rear facing past 1 year AND 20 pounds, but would mention how it is safer to the limits of the convertible seat. This link is pretty good at making the points.

http://cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx

I would stress harnessed seat until at least 4 years old or 40 pounds (I believe you had said that you have a hard time finding the higher weight harnessing seats down there). Also, I would add how maturity plays a role in when a child is ready to move to a booster and how to check proper belt fit. It can be the same for a booster as in the 5 step test: belt close to thighs, across the chest, on the shoulder and not falling off, etc.

And then booster use until at least age 8, but optimally until the child passes the 5 step test. http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
 

lourdes

Well-known member
carseatcoach said:
That, plus a proper use clause.

I'm sure this is controversial, but as much as I care about child passenger safety, I also care about parental rights. I don't think I'd support laws requiring RF to 3 or harness until 5.5, even though I would strongly encourage parents to do so.
I agree with you, RF until 3 and EH until 5 or 6 is a parental choice, but if we can get the word to be hear that really good, I think here the law says RF until 1 and the says car seat until 40 pounds and booster until 4, any change will be better, I know they wount change the law of rear facing but at least the can change the recommendations, where can I find all this info? Can someone post me a link?
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
The first thing you should do is find out exactly what your carseat laws are. I believe PR requires proper use to age 4, which means there is no specific criteria regarding rear-facing or harness vs. booster. I am not positive about that, but if you want to be credible, *you* need to know what the current law is.

Based on what I am assuming, the only change I'd suggest is extending mandatory child restraint usage to 57" regardless of age.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
No, laws are about what is minimally required.

Please, I am not trying to be mean, but in the interests of effective advocacy, please familiarize yourself with what the law currently is and what laws are meant to do. You will be far more credible if you are well-informed.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
No, laws are about what is minimally required.

Please, I am not trying to be mean, but in the interests of effective advocacy, please familiarize yourself with what the law currently is and what laws are meant to do. You will be far more credible if you are well-informed.

This is very true, but if I recall correctly, op speaks english as a second language, and the laws for Puerto Rico are written in spanish, so I can't help with interpretting them. Otherwise, here is where you can find them, I think.

http://www.comisionparalaseguridadeneltransito.com/

Can anyone help in finding the actual child restraint law and translating it?

I did find that they only require a seat until age 4.

Edit: And while the actual law doesn't usually have recommendations, some local and state agencies will summarize the law, and add in recommendations.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
You might also want to review some laws for various states. There have been some good updates in the past couple years, and being able to show the trend toward higher ages/weights for car seats would probably help.

I can't remember off the top of my head which states have enhanced their laws recently, but I'm sure someone else can give some suggestions. (I live in one of the cruddier states.)
 

lourdes

Well-known member
I research online and the law says that children under 4 years have to use a car seat, that's it, I have a brochure from the "comision para la seguridad en el transito" commission for transit security, I think that's the translation, and it says that babies 1 year or younger or those ho weight less than 20 pounds can to ride RF in a car seat, children between 20 to 40 pounds can to ride FF in a car seat and children between 40 to 80 pounds can use booster seats, this brochure is what they give to parents in the hospital or when a CPST is giving a conference. The law only says 4 years or younger but this commission is giving a more detail information base on the law and the car seats instructions manual, if the law changes the recommendations from this agency can also change, I call this agency today and the told me that their recommendations are from the NHTSA, apparently the commission needs to update, I told them that the NHTSA have change their recommendations but they say they have not being inform of that.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
I research online and the law says that children under 4 years have to use a car seat, that's it, I have a brochure from the "comision para la seguridad en el transito" commission for transit security, I think that's the translation, and it says that babies 1 year or younger or those ho weight less than 20 pounds can to ride RF in a car seat, children between 20 to 40 pounds can to ride FF in a car seat and children between 40 to 80 pounds can use booster seats, this brochure is what they give to parents in the hospital or when a CPST is giving a conference. The law only says 4 years or younger but this commission is giving a more detail information base on the law and the car seats instructions manual, if the law changes the recommendations from this agency can also change, I call this agency today and the told me that their recommendations are from the NHTSA, apparently the commission needs to update, I told them that the NHTSA have change their recommendations but they say they have not being inform of that.

THen see if you can send them the links to the new nhtsa recommendations.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic Injury Control/Articles/Associated Files/4StepsFlyer.pdf

Here is the pdf... seems pretty concise and to the point in my opinion:D

In fact... I think I might just share this pdf on my wall, to follow my USA today posts...
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Again, recommendations are not law. My extremely limited Spanish suggests that the LAW is to use child restraints, properly (according to manufacturer's instructions) to age 4. The recommendations are made by the agency that prepared the website and brochure. A senator would likely have very little to do with that.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
carseatcoach said:
Again, recommendations are not law. My extremely limited Spanish suggests that the LAW is to use child restraints, properly (according to manufacturer's instructions) to age 4. The recommendations are made by the agency that prepared the website and brochure. A senator would likely have very little to do with that.

Right. With the senator, it's best to focus on minimums, because that's what the law covers. Child restraint required to a certain age/height, and including or maintaining a proper use clause.

Best practice (RF until at least 2, harness until at least 4, etc.) can be shared with the transit commission, healthcare agencies, etc., but that should be separate from what you hope to accomplish with the senator.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
I want to say something without offending my own people, puertorricans don't like to read, parents don't read the car seat instruction manual, people don't know the real law and the brochure made by this commission is what people think is what the law says, if this senator can get the law to change until age 8 I bet she can also made this commission to update their information, if this happens al least 90% of the people will think that the law have change and lives will be saved. I know that the recommendations are not the law but since nobody knows the real law then we can use this as a positive for us, what this transit commission says is what people here believe is the law, so i think a lot can be made with the help of this senator, IMO
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
The senator doesn't have the ability to make the commission do anything. (She also can't change the law on her own, though she could certainly sponsor a bill or support/recommend changes to an existing one.)

She might have some influence over the commission and could send them a letter or something urging them to update their recommendations, but that's about the extent of it.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
The bill has being made, is call the forgotten children I think, it is not sing or approve yet but when I call her office today they told they needed more information and more support about it, I hope more can be done, they did say nobody else have call to support this, I am the first parent to have something to say at least to her office, I hope something can be done, at least rise awareness, I will try to find more information from this site but I am trying to get the new AAP recommendations but I can't find them, can someone link it here?
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Here is the AAP link. I googled "AAP car seat recommendations"
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm
The recommendations are summarized here:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;127/4/788 (from a link on that first page)

I prefer the NHTSA recommendations.

I understand what you're saying about the law vs. what people *think* is the law because they only see the brochures. You should encourage the senator to push for a new minimum of 57" or 8yo for restraint use in LAW. But definitely also encourage her to *personally* advocate best practices, and use her position to raise awareness. Maybe also approach this "transit commission" personally and show them that the NHTSA's recs have changed. Just be clear that you're talking about two different things here (Minimum laws vs. Best practice) and don't muddle them together.
 

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