Contact: Pam Moen (608) 828-2487
AB 618 Scheduled for Assembly Vote December 15
In the interest of protecting Wisconsin’s children, AAA Wisconsin urges passage of Assembly Bill 618. The bill would strengthen the state’s child passenger safety laws by placing children in booster seats when they have graduated from car seats but are not big enough to be safely transported using only seat belts. AB 618 is scheduled for Assembly action on Thursday, December 15.
Specifically, AB 618 enhances current Wisconsin law by requiring children ages 4 to 8 who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds and are no more than 4’9” tall to be properly restrained in a child booster seat.
“Passage of this legislation will save lives and reduce injuries to children in automobile accidents,” said AAA Wisconsin Regional President Steve Bernth. “The bill corrects several deficiencies that have helped earn Wisconsin low grades for child passenger protection.”
The booster seat provision included in AB 618 is consistent with improved child passenger safety policy supported by AAA, SAFE KIDS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Advertising Council, medical experts and many other safety advocates.
AAA’s support for this legislation is based on key facts, including:
· 81 percent of AAA Wisconsin members support booster seat legislation as shown in a 2004 member survey;
· Using a belt-positioning booster seat with a seat belt instead of a seat belt alone reduces a child’s risk of injury by 59 percent according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in June 2003;
· Young children prematurely moved to safety belts are four times more likely to suffer serious head injuries during a collision than children in child safety seats or booster seats, according to the Advertising Council.
AAA Wisconsin, which serves 600,000 members, offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 48 million members in the United States and Canada.
