Deal
BTW, here's a copy of the email announcement I got....
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New York has become the 27th State to adopt a booster seat law.
The new law requires booster seats for all children age 4 to 7 who are 4 feet, 9 inches tall or shorter. The booster seats must be used in the back seat with a combination lap and shoulder safety belt. Violations of the law, set to take effect in March, will result in fines of $25 to $100.
"This new common-sense child safety measure will ensure that our children are fully protected while traveling in the back seat of motor vehicles," said New York Governor George Pataki, who signed the measure on Sept. 28. "We know from recent studies that regular passenger seats are not designed to adequately safeguard smaller children, particularly those between the ages of 4 and 7. Booster seats have proven to be the safest and most reliable method to protect our children because they help make the transition from child safety restraints to adult seat belts." "By requiring the use of these life-saving devices, New York State will increase public awareness and ensure that our children receive the protection they need," said State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who sponsored the legislation in the Senate. "There is absolutely no question that this [law] is a proven lifesaver," said Assemblyman Jack McEneny, the sponsor of the bill in the Assembly. I look forward to the day when every State commits itself, as New York has, to protecting our children. A national standard will ensure the welfare and safety of all children."
A recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey indicated that just 21 percent of children age 4 to 8 are "at least on occasion" riding in a booster seat while traveling in a passenger vehicle. An additional 19 percent of those children were restrained "at least on occasion" in a front-facing child safety seat. NHTSA recommends that a child who has outgrown his/her child safety seat should ride in a booster seat until he/she is at least 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall. A child who is placed in poorly fitting adult safety belt can suffer life-threatening injuries or be ejected from a vehicle in a crash.
For more information about booster seats, visit
http://www.boosterseat.gov
For a list of child passenger safety seat laws and their provisions, visit:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncsl/Index.cfm
http://www.saferoads.org/issues/BoosterSeatLawChart.pdf
http://www.iihs.org/safety_facts/state_laws/restrain2.htm