Child Injuries and Car Accidents: Booster Seat Bill Now Law in Arizona

A booster seat law recently passed in Arizona will help reduce child injury and death caused by motor vehicle accidents.

2012-07-17

July 17, 2012 (Press-News.org) Child Injuries and Car Accidents: Booster Seat Bill Now Law in Arizona

When a child-passenger is involved in a car accident without a booster seat, he or she runs the risk of suffering internal damage, serious spinal injury or worse. Nearly 80 percent of children who were killed in Arizona car crashes in 2009 were not properly restrained in a booster seat. Therefore, the proper use of a booster seat is instrumental in car safety among young children. Over the last several years, lawmakers in Arizona tried to pass booster seat bills that would require children ages 5-7 to be in a booster seat. Recently, Governor Jan Brewer signed such a bill into law.

The law commonly referred to as the booster seat legislation, and previously referred to as House Bill 2154, requires children ages five to seven who are shorter than four feet 10 inches to be in a child-restraint system like a booster seat when riding in a vehicle in Arizona. Before the passage of the law, Arizona was among three states that allowed children as young as five years old to use a seat belt instead of a booster seat. Without the assistance of a booster seat, seat belts, designed for adults, sit too high on a child's abdomen exposing the child to unnecessary risk. In previous attempts, similar bills failed to a pass as lawmakers cited reasons of cost and government intrusion into the decisions of parents.

Debate About Booster Seat Legislation

Convertible booster seats can cost as much as a few hundred dollars, but backless booster seats cost as little as $20. One doctor who provided testimony said she was personally skeptical of the benefit of booster seats and said during testimony a booster seat is "a gloried phone book," but when viewed from a statistical standpoint, the doctor admitted the seats prevent death and reduce injury up to 60 percent. In 2010, five children died in a single vehicle accident because they were not properly restrained in booster seats.

Despite fears about state paternalism, many parents in Arizona thought the booster seat requirement was already law, and according to a AAA poll, the majority of Arizonans supported the law before its passage. The law also had support from hospitals and insurance companies. Even a lawmaker who previously opposed the law sponsored the passing bill after a doctor explained the risk of injury. As said by the legislator in an interview with The Arizona Republic, children are already required to wear seat belts, the law helps make sure they are more safely restrained.

The law goes into effect in August, and parents who fail to abide by the booster seat law will be penalized with a $50 fine. However, the fine can be waived if parents demonstrate they have obtained a booster seat thereafter.

If you or your child has been injured in a car accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.

Article provided by Wright & Gallagher
Visit us at www.azinjurycentral.com/

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Drowsy Driving Might Be Just as Deadly as Drunk Driving

2012-07-17

Drowsy Driving Might Be Just as Deadly as Drunk Driving Everyone knows the risks of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The delayed reaction time and errors in judgment associated with intoxication can be fatal on the road. What most people don't know is that driving when you're short on sleep can be just as dangerous. A recent French study - published in the medical trade journal Archives of Internal Medicine - found that drivers who were either legally intoxicated or very drowsy were at least twice as likely to cause accidents. The study examined ...

Senator Proposes New Permanent Visa Quotas for Graduates of U.S. Schools

2012-07-17

Senator Proposes New Permanent Visa Quotas for Graduates of U.S. Schools As controversial as many immigration issues have become in the U.S., most politicians and economists recognize the economic benefits of granting permanent residency to skilled workers. Immigration based on employment makes all the more sense when the visa recipient obtained an advanced degree at an American university and will bring technical skills to the economy. Texas Senator John Cornyn recently proposed federal legislation that would allocate more than 50,000 permanent immigrant visas to ...

Four Falls in New Jersey Prompt OSHA to Call For Increased Contractor Awareness

2012-07-17

Four Falls in New Jersey Prompt OSHA to Call For Increased Contractor Awareness Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued the request that construction companies to ensure that employees working above 6 feet have the proper equipment to protect themselves from falls on the job. OSHA has opened investigations following four unrelated construction accidents in New Jersey. The accidents include: -a worker who fell from a roof into an acid vat in Clifton, N.J. -a Bayonne residential construction site, where a worker fell -a fall during the ...

Commercial Truck Accidents: Common Causes and Resolutions for Victims

2012-07-17

Commercial Truck Accidents: Common Causes and Resolutions for Victims Car accidents are always scary, but an accident between a 3,000 pound car and a commercial truck averaging well over 80,000 pounds can be catastrophic. These disastrous accidents can lead to serious injuries and fatalities for those in the passenger vehicle. Fatalities are much more likely in accidents involving commercial trucks, which warrants concern even though the number of accidents involving these large vehicles is declining. In 2006, the Department of Transportation reports that large trucks ...

Using Patient Pictures to Reduce Medical Mistakes

2012-07-17

Using Patient Pictures to Reduce Medical Mistakes Electronic medical records are intended to improve the care patients receive when they enter the hospital. EMRs put a patient's medical record at the finger tips of doctors and nurses throughout the hospital, without having to track down the paper record. Ultimately, EMRs are intended to reduce and prevent medical errors. However, as Reuters Health notes, mistakes still occur in hospitals that use EMRs. For instance, doctors are able to open several EMRs at one time, so they must always be vigilant of which patient's ...

Vuetek Scientific Signs Worldwide Distribution Agreement with Vascular Solutions for VEINSITE Imaging Device

2012-07-17

VueTek Scientific today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Vascular Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: VASC) for VueTek's vascular imaging device, Veinsite. Under this agreement, which is limited to the vascular disease market, Vascular Solutions will distribute the Veinsite device to vein practices in the United States, Canada, Mexico and initially 18 other countries. Veinsite is designed to make locating veins easier, which simplifies vein treatment procedures. Its proprietary technology allows Veinsite to display a high quality ...

Citizens to Retire the Penny Launches New Website -- Grassroots Group Renews Effort to Halt Production of the United States Penny

2012-07-17

Citizens to Retire the Penny, an independent organization aimed at phasing out the U.S. penny, has unveiled a redesigned website at www.RetireThePenny.org. Reenergized by Canada's recent decision to cease production of its one-cent piece, the non-partisan, grassroots group is redoubling efforts to raise awareness and engage supporters. According to Professor Jeff Gore, MIT physicist and Citizens to Retire the Penny founder, the revamped site has two goals: to educate the public about the high cost and low value of the penny, and to motivate people to take action. Gore ...

Murdock Capital Partners Teams With The Clean Energy View Radio Show To Host "The 2012 Clean Energy Symposium" In New York City, At The Prestigious 3 West Club On Friday, September 28, 2012

2012-07-17

"The 2012 Clean Energy Symposium" will be held in New York City at 3 West Club by Murdock Capital Partners and The Clean Energy View Radio Show on Friday, September 28, 2012 at 8:30 AM EDT. The event is a one day symposium aimed at educating investors on the growing clean energy space and the opportunities for investing. "As part of our continuing series of Natural Resource oriented Symposiums, Murdock Capital has determined to hold an event, based on our most precious natural resource of all-the environment," said Luis Mejia, Managing Partner, Murdock ...

Former IRS Officer Turned Tax Attorney Resolves Buffalo Company's Payroll Tax Problems with the IRS

2012-07-17

A Buffalo, NY based company encountered major payroll tax problems earlier this year, resulting in a difficult situation with the Internal Revenue Service. A representative from the company stated that "their tax situation was a confusing one," and that "it had become a burden." The company then hired Buffalo IRS tax attorney William Winspear to handle their case. Winspear recently opened his own law practice after years of working with a prominent tax law firm and 17 years as an IRS revenue officer. Winspear acted quickly and worked closely ...

My7's Announces Launch of Their New 7's Hybrid Kit

2012-07-17

My7's, a nationwide provider of electronic cigarettes, announced the debut of their new 7's Hybrid Kit. The 7's Hybrid Kit is complete with their new battery that delivers 1000+ puffs on a single battery charge and employs their new "enhanced vapor production". "The 7's Hybrid Kit raises the bar for the electronic smoker and comes complete with our most innovative patent pending technology," said Kyle Newton, My7's President. The company's e cigarette starter kit features "Power Smart" protection circuits that prevents overcharging, My7's ...