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CAR SEATS: Bush vetoes a bill to keep kids up to 8 in them. He says it would have been a burden.
By MIKE BRASSFIELD
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 16, 2001
Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday vetoed a bill that would have required children up to 8 years old to ride in car booster seats.
Currently in Florida, only children 3 and younger must ride in special car seats. The bill would have made Florida's car seat law the strictest in the country.
Bush said the proposed law smacked of government intrusiveness and would have been too much of a burden on poor families, car pools and out-of-state tourists.
"For households with multiple children, this could result in a significant de facto tax on families living paycheck to paycheck," Bush wrote in his veto.
The bill's backers were disappointed.
"This governor has put more emphasis on protecting manatees than he has on protecting children," said state Rep. Bob Allen, R-Merritt Island, sponsor of the House bill.
"I'm a Republican, I'm not for big government," Allen said. "But the law on the books now is misleading people to strap their kids into unsafe seat belts. We were trying to fix that by requiring a simple piece of plastic."
The bill sparked a debate over how much government should interfere with parents' decisions on their children's safety.
Bush called the bill "a noble effort" but said it went too far. Parents taking other people's children to Little League games would need extra booster seats. Out-of-state families would have to buy booster seats before driving across the state line.
Bush said the state should trust parents to take care of their children. But safety advocates say that seat belts don't fit small children and that parents need better guidance from the state.
"He vetoed it? You're kidding," said Jean Shoemaker, coordinator of the Suncoast Safe Kids Coalition based at All Children's Hospital. "I'm really disappointed. It would have helped clarify this issue for parents. Because the law states children only have to be in car seats until they're 3, that's what parents listen to."
Lawmakers heard from parents who were outraged that the government would force them to keep their children in booster seats until they turned 9. But the bill's backers say most people are convinced once they learn the risks of children going without booster seats.
"A lot of moms have been calling, saying they don't want to be inconvenienced. But that's no way to set policy," said Republican Bill Posey of Rockledge, the Senate sponsor of the bill.
"They tell me, "How dare you. My kid doesn't want to sit in one.' I tell them, "Your kid's not safe. Your seat belt doesn't fit your kid.' "
Safety advocates say seat belts ride too high on small children and can cause paralysis and other severe injuries in a crash. Young children in seat belts instead of booster seats are four times more likely to be seriously hurt, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Florida bill would have required booster seats for children under 9 or shorter than 4 feet 9.
The governor thought such a law would be hard to enforce: Police would need a measuring tape and would have to rely on parents to know children's ages.
Children around the country usually have to be in car seats only up to ages 3 or 4. Beginning next year in Washington state, booster seats will be required for kids up to age 5 or up to 60 pounds.
AAA had suggested a compromise in Florida: that the age limit for car seats be 5, and the weight limit be 40 pounds.
"We are disappointed, because this law could have saved children's lives," said AAA spokeswoman Diane Jones. "But we will try to work with the governor on his concerns and get something passed next year."
In their most basic form, booster seats look like the boosters children use in restaurants. But designs and sizes vary, and they can cost anywhere from $20 to $200.
A number of groups distribute them for free or at reduced cost to people who can't afford them. County health departments have more information.
In terms of safety, there's no difference between an expensive car seat and a cheap one, Shoemaker said, because every seat on the market must pass federal standards.