News Texas Car Seat Law

babygirlsmom1005 · May 28, 2009

The new law passed, just needs signature!!!! New law states 8 years old or 4'9" before kids can get out of a booster seat!!! So much better than the 5 years old or 36" tall. There is a one year warning peorid, so it really won't be enforced until 2010, so much better than our old law here which was one of the worst in the country!!!

tjham · May 28, 2009

Great! :thumbsup:

Maybe there is still hope for Arizona...

Calleiah · May 29, 2009

It's about freaking time! Im so sick of seeing people with 5 year olds (tiny ones!) in nothing at all!
Time to go find a news article about it so I can subtly remind my friends with kids. If that doesnt work, Ill take a more direct approach!

ketchupqueen · May 29, 2009

Did he sign it? Or ignore it?

He didn't veto it, did he???

MomToEliEm · May 29, 2009

ketchupqueen said:
Did he sign it? Or ignore it?

He didn't veto it, did he???

The online status doesn't show any changes (http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=SB61), but it has passed the 10 day limit on when he could have vetoed it, so I would assume it will be a new law for us in a few months. If he had vetoed it, I am pretty sure we would have heard something about it by now.

ketchupqueen · May 29, 2009

AWESOME!!! *throws a celebration that her nephew will be boostered longer than 3 or 5 years*

borntraci · May 29, 2009

GREAT!!! Now I have a good reason not to send DS to TX this summer, because his Nana would NEVER be willing to buy a frontier for him.

hsjwmom · May 29, 2009

Yay! Now, if only people would actually CARE and follow the law.

My neighbor's grandkids rode in NOTHING after they outgrew the bucket.

I told her she needed something at LEAST for the baby, who was about to turn 2. She did the, yeah, I know, I know. She never did end up getting anything.

The younger one is now 4 or 5, so I can't wait to tell her about the new law.

MomToEliEm · May 29, 2009

I just checked the online status for this senate bill:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=SB61

and it now says:

Filed without the Governor's signature

It is now official that Texas will have an up to 8 years old (or 4'9" if younger then 8) carseat/booster seat law on August 31 2009.

tanyaandallie · May 29, 2009

YAY!!!!

rochelle · May 29, 2009

Congrats

Now if California can get the same law. preferably with an "AND" rather than a "OR". 8yrs and 4'9" seems logically better.

I am 5'3" but I dont fit well in a seat belt either.

mburks26 · May 29, 2009

am wondering since now we have a booster law could a person get a ticket if they use the booster wrong lap only belt and putting the shoulder belt behind the child etc? since its against the manufactor?

Evolily · May 29, 2009

mburks26 said:
am wondering since now we have a booster law could a person get a ticket if they use the booster wrong lap only belt and putting the shoulder belt behind the child etc? since its against the manufactor?

depends on if you have a proper use clause.

mburks26 · May 29, 2009

we do now I wonder if that will stay in the new law?

MomToEliEm · May 29, 2009

mburks26 said:
am wondering since now we have a booster law could a person get a ticket if they use the booster wrong lap only belt and putting the shoulder belt behind the child etc? since its against the manufactor?

Yep, it will be against the law (though I doubt it will be enforced). The Texas law does include a proper use clause:

A person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle, transports a child who is younger than eight years of age, unless the child is taller than four feet, nine inches, and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety seat system.

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/html/SB00061F.htm

bubbaray · May 29, 2009

Sounds similar to our law here in BC. Which most people ignore anyway.

Or, they use the "new booster law" as a reason to move a small 2yo to a LBB.

vonfirmath · May 29, 2009

rochelle said:
Congrats

Now if California can get the same law. preferably with an "AND" rather than a "OR". 8yrs and 4'9" seems logically better.

I am 5'3" but I dont fit well in a seat belt either.

But if a child gets to 4'9" before age 8, they might conceivably NOT fit any booster seat on the market. that's the reason for ORs, not ANDs.

rochelle · May 30, 2009

vonfirmath said:
But if a child gets to 4'9" before age 8, they might conceivably NOT fit any booster seat on the market. that's the reason for ORs, not ANDs.

I was thinking of my home country laws where if the child cannnot fit into any booster seat on the market, they will be legally exempt from using a booster. I am not sure whether the exempt clause is built in to the laws here.

celtic1885 · May 30, 2009

I am SO EXCITED! Maybe now my brother will put my dni in a harness or at least a hbb. She is smaller than my dd2 and he puts her in a lbb

She is hyper and definitely doesn't pass the 5-step test.

vonfirmath · May 30, 2009

celtic: A low back booster is still a booster and so he's within the law, right? Why would he change just because the law is passed? Maybe I missed something.

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