To download the brochure on all child passenger safety laws in Georgia, click here.

*THE DEADLY THREAT TO OUR CHILDREN

*THE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR USING BOOSTER SEATS

*THE FINES FOR FAILING TO BUCKLE-UP

*THE EXCEPTIONS TO GEORGIA'S NEW LAW

*THE BEST ADVICE FOR KEEPING KIDS SAFE, AND..

*THE TERRIBLE RISKS IF YOU DON'T

THE THREAT TO OUR CHILDREN

There's a killer at large in Georgia. Every year without warning, this killer claims hundreds of lives. Police reports reveal homicide scenes scattered across the state. The victims are powerless to protect themselves. The youngest never make it past the age of two.

THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF KIDS

To most Georgians, the killer's name may come as a surprise: Car Crashes . And yet this year car crashes will continue to be the Number-One Killer of our kids, ages two-to-fourteen, unless parents and caregivers learn the secret to saving young lives. The safe solution is to secure those children in a car seat, booster seat or safety belt.

OUTGROWING CHILD SAFETY SEATS

Safety experts say their main concern is many parents still believe that children who have outgrown child-safety-seats should only be buckled-in using seat belts. The problem is seat belts don't offer the best protection for these children during a car crash, because safety belts are actually designed to fit adults.

KIDS ARE AT RISK

“There are just too many kids out there at risk because they're not riding in booster seats,” said Director Bob Dallas of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. “Child Safety Seats are proven life-savers, but not enough kids are buckled-up.”

CHANGES COMING JULY 1ST

Now, the battle to protect Georgia's children on the road is about to get a boost from changes in State Law that go into effect as of July 1 st . Under the new law children under age six will be required to be in a car seat or booster seat appropriate for their height and weight and used according to the manufacturer's instructions. The new law also requires children under six to ride in the rear seat.

KNOW THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE NEW LAW

The new law that takes effect July 1 st will have some exceptions motorists will want to remember. For example, the law requires children under six to ride in the rear seat, but exceptions exist if there is no rear seating, or all appropriate rear seating positions are already occupied by other children. In this case, a child under six may ride in the front seat but must be properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat appropriate for their height and weight.

VEHICLE EXEMPTIONS FROM THE NEW LAW

Exempt vehicles under the new law include multifunctional-school-activities-buses for five-year-old children. Licensed childcare facility vans that have met certain state safety inspection requirements and are used for the transportation of children over four are also exempt, until July 2007, provided five-year-old children are properly restrained by safety belts. (Taxicabs and public transit were already exempted under the existing law).

CHILD WEIGHT EXCEPTIONS TO THE NEW LAW

For booster seats to be used properly, a lap/shoulder belt is required. There is an exception in the new law that will allow a child that is over 40 pounds to use only a lap belt if there are no shoulder belts in the vehicle, or if positions that have lap/shoulder belts are being used to properly restrain other children.

(Again, if there are only lap belts in the rear, the child may be placed in the front seat. The child must be properly restrained in a seat that is appropriate for their height and weight and used according to the manufacturer's instructions).

CHILD HEIGHT & HEALTH EXCEPTIONS TO THE NEW LAW

Under the new law, if a parent can show that a child's height is over 4'9”, that child may be restrained in a safety belt in lieu of a booster seat. (Under the existing law, a child under six could already be exempt if the parent or guardian has a physician's written statement that a physical or medical condition prevents using a child safety restraint).

TEMPORARY EXCEPTIONS TO THE NEW LAW

The existing law still provides that any person transporting an unrestrained child may receive up to a $50.00 fine. If that offender has a second conviction, the fine may double up to $100.00. Under the new law, there's a temporary exception to the new Child Restraint Law fine that applies only for a limited time between July 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005 for citations issued for a child who is five years old. During that six-month period the court MAY waive or suspend the $50.00 fine for a first conviction if the defendant shows the court that a child safety seat has been purchased after the time of the offense, but before the court appearance.

GEORGIA'S PRIMARY SAFETY BELT LAW

Because Georgia already has a “primary safety belt law,” it means law enforcement officers can issue citations just by observing the safety belt offense , unlike other states where a driver must first be stopped for some other traffic violation.

EVERY OCCUPANT UNDER 18 MUST BE RESTRAINED

Under existing Georgia law, every occupant under the age of 18 must be restrained wherever they sit in a passenger vehicle, including pickup trucks. State law already requires that every young child be properly restrained in a child safety seat and that each minor, six years of age or older who is an occupant of a ‘passenger vehicle' must be restrained by a safety belt .

THE MIRACLE BEHIND GEORGIA'S NEW LAW

As this new law journeyed through the Georgia General Assembly for two years, the bill was called Madison's Bill, named for a little girl whose life was miraculously spared by a booster seat. Madison Harty survived a catastrophic crash when an SUV rammed into the side of her family's minivan and sheared off the side where Madison was sitting. First responders credited the booster seat with saving the life of the little girl. With Georgia's new booster seat law, many more young lives like Madison's will be saved.

FOLLOW THIS EASY ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS

Now that you've read about the new law and all the exceptions, you should know what the highway safety experts recommend. The Governor's Office of Highway Safety recommends that all children should ride in a car seat or booster seat that is appropriate for their height and weight. And although the law does not require kids age six, seven and eight to use booster seats, GOHS recommends that children in this age group be secured in federally approved booster seat.

AVOID THE RISKS FOR YOUR CHILDREN!

Why follow the advice of these experts? Because their research shows children who do not use child passenger safety seats are three times more likely to be injured than those buckled-up in safety seats.

Children who are ejected during a vehicle crash are four times more likely to be killed by injuries after the ejection or by the vehicle rolling over them.

And if parents use child safety seats, they can reduce the risk of fatal injury for infants by 69-percent and by 47-percent for toddlers involved in motor vehicle crashes.

THE SAFE SOLUTION

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Governor's Office of Highway Safety GOHS, and Safe Kids of Georgia recommend: child passengers should remain in booster seats until age eight or when their height reaches 4-feet-9 inches tall. Then it's time to buckle-up with safety belts, just like the grown-ups they're riding with.