By Briana Vannozzi
Correspondent
Strapped in and ready to go, 3 year-old Paige already knows about car seat safety.
“I’ll keep her in that seat as long as possible. Safety is definitely most important,” said Mom Christine Pompile.
The state’s new car seat legislation is some of the strictest yet. According to the sponsor, south Jersey Senator Jim Beach, New Jersey hadn’t updated car seat laws since the 1960s.
“What we’ve attempted to do with this law is to better protect our children in the state of New Jersey,” said Beach.
Regulations now focus more on height and weight rather than age. Starting today: babies and toddlers will remain rear-facing until they’re at least 2 years-old or 30 pounds, children up to 4 years-old and 40 pounds must remain in a 5-point harness seat and kids up to 8 years-old or 57 inches need a booster.
“If you think about your kids their heads are much heavier, they’re disproportionately larger than the rest of their bodies, for really the first two years. In a crash having a rear-facing seat, the seat takes all of the crash forces,” said Cathleen Lewis.
Lewis is with AAA New Jersey. She says motor vehicle accidents are the leading killer for children ages 3 to 14, so getting it right is key.
“The baby is secure in the seat. You want to make sure that you can’t pinch an inch and that this harness clip is right at their shoulders. The sternum is going to be their strongest part and the 5-point harness holds them in at their shoulders and down on their hips. That will keep them nice and secure,” she said.
Beach also looked at a 2007 University of Virginia study that found “by using the rear-facing seat, that the fatal injuries and serious injuries to babies could be reduced by as much as 75 percent.”
As an added incentive, fines are going up too. They were $10 to $25, but starting today it’ll range from $50 to $75.
One of the complaints from parents right now is if you happen to have a toddler on the taller side, their legs might be bent up against this backseat causing discomfort.
“If you think about the way you look at your children sleeping, playing, watching TV, you’re going to go ‘how is that comfortable?’ They don’t care,” Lewis said.
“I know there’s a lot of people that say my kids get mad when they’re backwards. I have mirrors, so that helps a little bit. With two its definitely easier. They keep each other more occupied,” said Pompile.
There’s also help for parents who may not be able to afford a new seat, which can range anywhere from $80 and up.
“We partnered early on in the process with AAA who guaranteed us that any low-income family, they will provide a car seat,” said Beach.
You can also check with your local and county offices, which offer weekly inspections to help install your child’s seat properly.
“When push comes to shove, it’s a leg injury versus a neck injury. Its life versus death, and I mean, it’s a no brainer,” said Pompile.