Comments on: Virginia Kids Under 8 Required to be in a Booster Seat

By: april

april — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:56:13 +0000

who cares about your child’s self-esteem when it comes to safety. would you rather them be in a booster or dead???? also i don’t think the laws are ridiculous, i think the people who think they are probably are. i will keep my children restrained as long as necessary. the booster is to have the seat belt positioned on the child properly.

By: Kidz Come First

Kidz Come First — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:42:36 +0000

How can you all actually have the nerve to argue about a parents right when it comes to the safety of a child?!!! Not every parent out there has the ability to make informed or intelligent decisions when it comes to the care of the child so there needs to be a general rule for everyone to follow. The children can’t protect themselves and some parents just flat out have no business being parents. The poor kids cant speak for themselves or protect themselves. Quit being such whiners and complainers and worry about the safety of what should be everyone’s priority….your children!!!!! I would much rather have my child be safe than sorry. Over protecting is certainly much better than not protecting at all! Maybe this paragraph would help those of you that want to argue with the necessity:

Correct Safety Belt Fit

Automobile safety belts are designed for adults, and they must fit correctly to work properly for children. Until a child fits correctly in the safety belt, a child safety seat should be used. The safety belt fit is correct when (1) the lap belt portion is low and tight across the hips or upper thighs; (2) the shoulder portion crosses the midsternum and the midclavicle; and (3) the child can sit back against the seat back with legs bent over the front of the seat.11

Usually, the adult safety belt fits correctly when a child is 4ft 9in (145 cm) tall.12 However, this marker may not apply for all children; therefore, the above criteria should be used to determine a safe fit.

By: Faye Tucker

Faye Tucker — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:51:43 +0000

Please let me know by email if a child 8yrs of age, weight 100lbs and 4ft 9in needs a booster seat.

Thanks for your help
Faye Tucker

By: Maegen

Maegen — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:02:56 +0000

I think that it is great. I dont know why anyone would complain about going out and spending a little money to keep their child safter. In other countries they make you keep your child rearfacing until the age of 4, and i dont think it’s a bad idea. It is proven to be much safter. When i was a child at the age of 5 i was in a really bad car reck. My pelvice was twisted and I still have alot of pain 20 years later. If I had been in a booster and the seatbelt fit me properly i would probably not have the back pain i deal with. I will always keep my children rear facing for as long as their seat lets them even once they are over 1 (that is what is recamended). If it lowers their chances of being hurt why wouldn’t it? I had a childhood friend who was killed when she was 3 because of not being properly restrained. That will not be the case with my children

By: Miles

Miles — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:43:42 +0000

Another piece of “feel-good” legislation, one size-fits-all government intrusion to what should always be a parent’s call. The Government, at all levels, has many other more important/urgent things to do than to interfere with parent/child relations. Parents should be the only responsible parties for their children until they become adults, period. Nanny governments are wasting our tax dollars in something unnecessary. The most vocal defenders of this kind of policy, the ones that claim “if it saves one life, it’s worth it”, and “it’s for the childreeeen!” are usually those who also think “it is my body, and I can do what I please with it” and “it’s not a human being until it’s born”, do your research. Government should stop trying to profit from every single thing, especially those that infringe on my constitutional rights (4th amendment in this case), and work hard to profit from reducing its own size. It’s time also to stop turning good citizens into criminals, jut to exert control or make profit. Parents, or the adult driver, should be made responsible of the children’s injury, if there is an actual injury, because of negligent judgement and/or lack of proper restraint.

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:46:59 +0000

There are certainly alot of extremely different opinions regarding the child restraint safety laws. I am simply in search of some clarification on the virginia law. I am under the impression that along with the age of 8 a child has to be at least 3 feet 9 inches tall and at least 50 lbs. in weight. I can’t find this information on any of the sites I’ve visited in regards to the car seat law of Virginia. I’ve always felt the laws should include some kind of height and weight provisions in conjunction to the age. Maybe that could help with the issues of some children are larger and or smaller than others of the same age. Anyway, if anyone could clarify that there is no height and weight limitation included in the child restraint safety, I would greatly appreciate it!

By: Neil Senner

Neil Senner — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:51:54 +0000

For this lost comment that is incorrect. There are alot of uninformed, misguided and uneducated Parents who have no clue in regards to safety. Do you think that if we had no seat belt laws as many Parents would belt their kid in? I doubt it. Even with the laws I seee plenty that don’t. Who is that helping. Heck why should we have any speed limit laws. Every one should be able to go 60 miles an hour thru my neighborhood. I mean they know best right? They know that they can react and stop on a dime when a child goes into the street. Please. Really. Get a clue. If your so concerned woth these HUGE profits these companies are making off of it why not invest some money in them. Stocks cheap right now, you’ll be able to get your money back.

By: Mithra Green

Mithra Green — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:24:48 +0000

The whole point is that the government is forcing parents, at the point of a gun, to comply w/a law of dubious merit that is of financial benefit to one special interest. If it was so needed parents would be doing it w/o a gun to their heads.

By: glp

glp — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:44:00 +0000

My youngest son will be 8 later this year. When the law changed, he was over the age limit at that time and we were not required by law to have him in a booster seat. We did it for his safety and his comfort. He liked being able to see out the windows also. He has been in 3 car accidents (all rear end or side impact collisions) and all three times he walked away without a scratch. All three times, he was properly strapped in his booster seat. I do not agree that the answer is to fix the seatbelts, because they can’t be adjusted more than they already are. Booster seats can be adjusted to just have the seat base or the back attached (again, you will have to spend a little bit more money but it’s for your child’s safety) with the head rest adjusting to the height needed. Our booster seats are easily moved between our truck and the cars. I don’t see why people are complaining about having to buy new seats when it’s for your children. This is only my opinion on the matter and I can tell you from experience, the booster seats have saved him from serious injuries. We plan on using boosters seats for our 3 month old daughter until she is the proper size to be in the car without a child seat.

By: Rebecca Brazie

Rebecca Brazie — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:53:20 +0000

When I posted my previous comment maybe I should have mentioned that, my oldest daughter is 12 years old and does not meat these safety requirements. I agree some parents don’t care enough about their children to protect them properly but at what cost to our children’s self esteem are we willing to say they are protected? That is why I say these safety requirements are REDICULOUS!!