(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/05/23) Legislation updating statewide car seat standards and age requirements, which proponents say should ease confusion for parents, was re-introduced today by several House Democrats.
Reps. Carrie A. Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor) and John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), both parents of young children, introduced the package in the form of HB 4511 and HB 4512, which were read in on Thursday afternoon.
Fitzgerald said the pair introduced the bills to make sure laws reflect the current federal standards and eliminate confusion that comes from the 10 different answers you can find on the internet about which car seat is appropriate.
As the parent of a five-month-old, there should not be a difference of opinion or difference of standard when it comes to child car safety, he said.
Rheingans said the bills amend Michigan’s vehicle code to align it with federal age, height and weight requirements.
Michigan is one of a handful of states that doesn't have a statute matching federal standards, Rheingans said.
Motor vehicle accidents are the number two cause of death in children, necessitating a statewide standard to help limit instances of harm to children as a result of incorrect car seat use, said Jonathan Gold, a Lansing-area pediatrician and Michigan State University professor representing the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The current statute hasn’t been updated since Michigan’s 2008 law, which requires that children up to age eight use a booster seat and children use a five-point harness car seat until the age of four.
But that's all the law includes, Gold said.
Rheingans said the package expands on age requirements to include recommendations for height and weight, in the case of a tall four-year-old or a short-eight-year-old.
The updated statute will require the use of a rear-facing car seat until a child is two years old or meets manufacturer height and weight requirements, a five-point harness car seat until a child is at least five and a booster seat until they are at least 57 inches tall, or eight years of age. Children under 13 would be required to sit in the rear seat of the car if one is available.
Fitzgerald’s portion of the package creates a process for educating parents who receive citations for car seat misuse.
He said parents who receive a citation can document receiving educational training by a car seat specialist, purchase the correct equipment and have their citation waived.
He said the bills aren’t meant to be punitive, and the citation is only $10, but he called it a “$10 reminder.”
Fitzgerald said, in addition to his experience as a new parent, he was motivated to sponsor a bill in the package because of his family’s history with traffic safety.
His father, former Rep. Frank Fitzgerald, served the Michigan House from 1987 to 1998. During that time, he was responsible for enactment of Michigan’s Click It Or Ticket law and attempting to pioneer other safety initiatives, including a zero alcohol tolerance policy behind the wheel.
Now-Rep. Fitzgerald said his father even earned the title of Mr. Traffic Safety.
His package reminds him of bills former Reps. Cara Clemente and Bronna Kahle sponsored in 2021, which received support from the Michigan State Police and DHHS, but did not make it out of the House Transportation Committee.
This time around, the bills were supported by the Michigan Osteopathic Association and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
The bills were referred to the Transportation, Mobility and Infrastructure Committee.
