News Ohio Governor signs booster law!

Unregistered1 · Jan 7, 2009

http://www.governor.ohio.gov/News/P...llsPassedin127thGenAsm/tabid/955/Default.aspx

See Substitute House Bill 320.

The newspapers haven't really caught wind of it yet, there was a blurb in this morning's Dispatch but I expect there will be a full article at some point. HOORAY FOR BOOSTER LAWS! Finally we're not the most backwards state EVER. It's still only a secondary offense but this is a HUGE step in the right direction. Yay Ohio!

:thumbsup:

Maedze · Jan 7, 2009

:thumbsup:

We have a booster law, but it's a weak one: 8 OR 4'9". So my four foot 60 pound nine year old neighbor is legally allowed to be out of a booster :thumbsdown: (not that she is, I showed her mom how the belt rose up on her tummy and mom was fine with leaving her in a booster, thank goodness).

It's also only a 10 dollar fine, which is hardly a deterrent. I'd like to see a 500 dollar fine, reduced to 100 if the parent schedules an appointment with a CPST for a fit check and produces an appropriate CRS with documentation submitted to the court.

Unregistered1 · Jan 7, 2009

Maedze said:
:thumbsup:

We have a booster law, but it's a weak one: 8 OR 4'9". So my four foot 60 pound nine year old neighbor is legally allowed to be out of a booster :thumbsdown: (not that she is, I showed her mom how the belt rose up on her tummy and mom was fine with leaving her in a booster, thank goodness).

It's also only a 10 dollar fine, which is hardly a deterrent. I'd like to see a 500 dollar fine, reduced to 100 if the parent schedules an appointment with a CPST for a fit check and produces an appropriate CRS with documentation submitted to the court.

I haven't looked much at the specifics on this one, well I did but it was before it went to the House and they made some changes... but my thing is, I know that a lot of people obey the law JUST to obey the law. They think it reflects what is safe. So if they know the law is 4 and 40, they'll put their four year old in a seat belt... but if they know it's 8 and 4'9", they wont, regardless of the penalty. I imagine it will take a while for this to catch on but I forsee significant improvement a ways down the road.

LISmama810 · Jan 7, 2009

Yay! I don't live in Ohio anymore, but I'm from there, and go back to visit family now and then. Congrats to you guys.

PinkSander · Jan 7, 2009

Maedze said:
We have a booster law, but it's a weak one: 8 OR 4'9".

I'm all for the 8 or 4'9 law, I live in Michigan, our law went in effect July 9th of this year. Before that, any child that was 4 years old, could legally able to only use a lap belt!:thumbsdown:

Mommy0608 · Jan 7, 2009

PinkSander said:
I'm all for the 8 or 4'9 law, I live in Michigan, our law went in effect July 9th of this year. Before that, any child that was 4 years old, could legally able to only use a lap belt!:thumbsdown:

I live in Michigan too. My 9 year old niece who is only 4'4" and 60lbs hasn't been in a booster since she was maybe 3 years old.

I wish it was worded differently so that it required more kids to be in boosters.

To the OP, woohoo!!! It's a big step in the right direction for Ohio. :thumbsup:

Gypsy · Jan 7, 2009

Substitute House Bill 320
State Rep. Shannon Jones sponsored Sub. HB 320, which requires a vehicle booster seat for children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall, and makes a violation of this requirement a secondary traffic offense.

Am I reading this right? It's 8 AND 4'9??????

That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!

I'm moving there later this year, and I was going to start actively fighting for this, but I am glad I don't have to now!!!

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue* · Jan 7, 2009

AWSEOME!!!!!!!!!!!

BookMama · Jan 7, 2009

Gypsy said:
Substitute House Bill 320
State Rep. Shannon Jones sponsored Sub. HB 320, which requires a vehicle booster seat for children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall, and makes a violation of this requirement a secondary traffic offense.

Am I reading this right? It's 8 AND 4'9??????

It means that children who ARE under 8 and shorter than 4'9" need a booster. Conversely, that means that once a child is 8 OR 4'9" they no longer legally need a booster. It doesn't mean that children need a booster until they're over 8 AND over 4'9". (This is the same wording as the Michigan law.)

ctbcleveland · Jan 7, 2009

Per boostohiokids....

"The law will go into effect on April 6. Law enforcement will issue warnings only for the first 6 months. Full enforcement, including citations, will begin on or about November 6. Fines will range from $25 to a maximum of $75 per occurrence. The Director of Health is responsible for adapting rules to establish enforcement criteria for determining compliance"

http://www.boostohiokids.org/

I wish the fines were worse - but it is a start. DH is a cop - so this will be one I will push him to enforce.

bobandjess99 · Jan 7, 2009

YAY!!!!! my family is still there and now my asisi HAS to get a booster for my nephew, AND my parents can't dog me for dd still being in a seat!!!

Unregistered1 · Jan 7, 2009

April 6 is my birthday! I'm getting a booster law for my birthday!

What a cool present!

LISmama810 · Jan 7, 2009

Will anyone interpret that to mean that kids between 4 and 8 years old MUST be in a booster, and therefore MAY NOT be in a harness?

I'm sure that's not the spirit of the law, but I could see a parent freaking out about "not being allowed" to harness a kid longer. (Or, more likely, a parent using the wording as an excuse to stop harnessing a kid ASAP.)

bobandjess99 · Jan 7, 2009

LISmama810 said:
Will anyone interpret that to mean that kids between 4 and 8 years old MUST be in a booster, and therefore MAY NOT be in a harness?

I'm sure that's not the spirit of the law, but I could see a parent freaking out about "not being allowed" to harness a kid longer. (Or, more likely, a parent using the wording as an excuse to stop harnessing a kid ASAP.)

Yes, actually, I think so...in fact, I know this is already the case in some states, we've discussed it before.....but I dont remember which states....

Unregistered1 · Jan 7, 2009

I would like to read the full legal text of the law, I have a link to the Ohio Revised Code online, but I'm not sure how often they revise the online revised code, LOL. But that would give me an idea as to the possible interpretations of the law. I just got an email from our Safe Kids coordinator about it, she says we're going to be launching new efforts to educate parents about the change and help them comply... I hope we get to do all that fun promotional seat check stuff you Michiganers got to do last year!

jessclear · Jan 7, 2009

Oh wow!! I'm almost jumping up and down....well, I am inside. Does that count?

A few moms were asking me about Ohio's booster law at play group this morning, but I didn't know about this. I just told them about the "laws of physics"...blah, blah, blah. When I found this I sent the group a mass e-mail with the link. I am a little concerned about 4-8year comment as well. I told my e-mail group that they can still keep their 4yo in a harness, I hope that's true. I won't change it if I find out otherwise. Very few of them do anyway.

So, way to go OHIO! I hope parents comply.

mominabigtruck · Jan 7, 2009

Are we going to have commercials on the radio or tv to let people know about it??

On a side note, I was in the health dept today and noticed they had phamlets about boosters and how they were for children over 4 but they had a picture of backless booster

mama2Cecelia · Jan 7, 2009

8 y.o. and 4'9"????

that's better than here......CT.....it's 6 and 60 lbs.

let's see.....my 5 yo dd is almost 48" and is almost 60 lbs.....will surely be by her 6th b-day in Sept.....so maybe we could celebrate then by letting her ride in just the seat belt alone

that's OK, her mama knows better

*sigh*.......many of her classmates are in nothing, despite the law (which doesn't really get enforced unless the driver gets pulled over for some other reason)

after all they ARE in kindergarten and ride in NOTHING on the school bus.....(a point brought up by a mom I got into a heated conversation with last year)

~~Kris
CPST and mama to Cece

Jeanum · Jan 7, 2009

MissKatie said:
I hope we get to do all that fun promotional seat check stuff you Michiganers got to do last year!

Congrats to the Ohio folks, great news. Be prepared for a deluge of parents/caregivers at any upcoming Ohio seat check event, especially at events advertised as a booster giveaway or having low cost booster seats available for purchase, especially if the event is held right before the Ohio booster law goes into effect. An early morning seat check held here a few days before the booster law went into effect in Michigan had cars lining up for over a mile an hour or two before the official starting time of the seat check, which was originally scheduled to start at the really early time of 6 or 6:30 a.m. to coincide with an on location morning radio show broadcast. Some parents drove over 100 miles to the event after hearing about it on the radio. This was back when gas was in the $3-$4 a gallon range last summer, too.

BookMama · Jan 7, 2009

Jeanum said:
An early morning seat check held here a few days before the booster law went into effect in Michigan had cars lining up for over a mile an hour or two before the official starting time of the seat check, which was originally scheduled to start at the really early time of 6 or 6:30 a.m. to coincide with an on location morning radio show broadcast. Some parents drove over 100 miles to the event after hearing about it on the radio. This was back when gas was in the $3-$4 a gallon range last summer, too.

To get a free backless booster that would probably have cost $15 at any Walmart.

News Ohio Governor signs booster law!

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