AAA Minnesota/Iowa Supports
Strengthening Child Passenger Safety Laws

What is the current law?
In Minnesota, the current law states children under age 4 must be secured in a safety seat that meets federal safety standards, and infants (under 20 pounds and at least 1 year old) must be in a rear-facing safety seat. This is a primary enforcement offense, which means that a motorist can be pulled over for violating this law. The seat belt law requires seat belts for children ages 4 through 11 in all seating positions and all passengers in the front seat to wear a seat belt. There are currently two gaps that exist in the law. There is no seat belt requirement for people older than 11 in the rear seat, and more people are permitted to ride in a vehicle than there are seat belts.

In Iowa, the current law states that children under age 3 must be in an approved child safety seat, and children ages 3 to 6 must be in an approved child safety seat or an adult seat belt. This is a primary enforcement offense, which means that a motorist can be pulled over for violating this law. The seat belt law calls for children older than 6 to wear a seat belt in the front seat, however, a gap exists since children in the rear seat who are older than 6 are not required to wear seat belts.

What is the problem with the current laws and what change does AAA Minnesota/Iowa seek? Our nation’s transportation systems and the vehicles that travel them were not originally designed and built with children in mind. Since Minnesota’s law only requires children to be in a restraint up to age 4, and Iowa’s law only requires children to be in a restraint until age 3, this legislation can give parents the false impression that after this age, children are safe when restrained in an adult seat belt. Because seat belts were designed to restrain adult males, children are at great risk of injury or death when they are improperly restrained in them.

Why is this change important? Most people do not realize automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of children in the United States and that many of these deaths could be prevented. AAA has the ability to affect change through its advocacy and education efforts at the state and local levels. At AAA Minnesota/Iowa, we support the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, which calls for the following changes to each state’s statues.

Improvements to Minnesota's child passenger safety laws include:

• Close the gap in the law by requiring children ages 9 and older to be properly restrained in all seating positions. 
• Require children ages 4 to 8 to be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat, whichever is appropriate.

Improvements to Iowa's child passenger safety laws include:

• Close the gap in the law by requiring children ages 9 and older to be properly restrained in all seating positions. 
• Require children ages 3 to 8 to be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat, whichever is appropriate. 

Important Facts:

• More children die in motor vehicle crashes than from all childhood diseases combined. (Source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety)
• Motor vehicle crashes killed a staggering total of 1,543 child occupants 14 years of age and under in 2002, and injured 263,000 others. (Source: NHTSA)
• Booster seats can protect children from severe spinal cord injuries, abdominal injuries and ejection in a crash. (Source: Minnesota Safety Council)
• Children 12 and under should always ride in the rear seat of your vehicle. It has been shown that a 33 percent reduction in the risk of injury exists for children who are seated in the back seat compared to the front seat. (Source: NHTSA)

For more information about child passenger safety, visit any of these websites:
AAApublicaffairs.com
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Minnesota Safety Council