California is considering a new bill that would ban children under 13 from sitting in the front seat of vehicles, alongside other requirements for booster seat usage. The bill, supported by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, aims to enhance child passenger safety and reflects updated national recommendations. Currently, California law allows children to ride in the front once they turn 8, but experts argue that height is more critical than age for belt safety. Advocates emphasize the importance of proper seatbelt fit to prevent injuries, looking to align state laws with those of other regions like Louisiana and Minnesota.
"The national recommendations have been updated for awhile, in states like Louisiana, Minnesota, already have a law similar to this," Rubin said.
"Right now just giving the age of 8 misses a lot of kids that are not tall enough, or lanky enough to fit the seat belt just right," Rubin said.
"The belt is touching the strongest parts of the body that's through the chest, and upper shoulders and upper hip- not on the neck, not on the tummy," Arias said.
"When I was working at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, where a child came up to me and she had her glasses indented into her nose because that airbag deployed in her face and pushed her glasses in," Arias said.
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