Child safety seat bill passes legislature

The California legislature has approved a bill that would require children to ride in child safety seats until they are eight years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Currently, children ages 6 and younger weighing less than 60 pounds are required to ride in safety, or booster, seats.

Under Assembly Bill 2108, children younger than 8 can ride in the front seat under conditions such as all the back seats are being used for other children younger than age 8. Infants up to one year old or 20 pounds must be placed in a rear-facing car seat. Car rental companies also would be required to provide booster seats if the bill is signed.

Supporters of the bill say booster seats raise a child up so that the seat belt properly goes across the shoulder and hips, instead of around the neck and stomach. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said children ages four to eight who use booster seats are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children wearing only a seat belt.

At press time, the bill was before the governor awaiting his signature or veto.