Legislative Update

Minnesota Senate Passes CPS bill,
House Does Not

The Minnesota Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Coalition was formed to help enhance Minnesota's child restraint law to include children ages 4 through 8. The group is being led by AAA Minnesota/Iowa and the Minnesota Safety Council for the 2006 legislative session. The CPS Coalition passed Senate File 298  and to find out how your legislator voted please follow this link: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/journals/2005-2006/31405026.pdf#Page58.  The corresponding House File 319 was passed by the House Transportation Policy Committee and included in the House Public Safety Omnibus bill.  It was then deleted by the House Ways and Means Committee. 

This next legislative session, we will pick up where we left off by seeking to revive the bill in the House Public Safety Committee and having it sent onto the House floor for a vote.  We encourage you to contact your state representative and encourage them to vote in favor of this life saving legislation.

If you would like to join the CPS Coalition, contact Gail.Weinholzer@mn-ia.aaa.com or call (952) 707-4985.

Minnesota has one of the weakest laws in the nation. The current law only requires a child to be in a child restraint system through age 3, and children ages 4 through 10 must be restrained, but allows that restraint to be a seat belt. Current legislation can give parents the false impression that after age 3, children are safe when restrained by an adult seat belt.

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. Nationwide, motor vehicle crashes killed a staggering total of 2,136 child occupants 14 years of age and under in 2003, and injured 253,000 others.

Our nation’s transportation systems and the vehicles that travel them were not originally designed and built with children in mind. Seat belts are designed to restrain adults, thus putting children at a greater risk of injury or death. Given that we are now a more mobile society and children are traveling more than ever, it is an enormous challenge to adapt our transportation system and vehicles to ensure our children’s safety.