Bill would require booster seats for more kids

COLUMBUS -- A Cincinnati lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require more children to use booster seats when traveling in motor vehicles.
Democratic Sen. Eric H. Kearney said he thinks his bill, aimed at children younger than 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall, would save lives.
"We have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the safety of Ohio's children," he told members of the Senate's Highways and Transportation Committee on Tuesday.
Under current law, children younger than 4 or who weigh less than 40 pounds already are required to use car seats when traveling in motor vehicles. Offenders are subject to mandatory fines of at least 25.
Senate Bill 27 would increase those restrictions to levels adopted in 34 others states, including Indiana and Pennsylvania, Kearney said.
The senator cited statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that ranked motor vehicle crashes among the leading cause of death among children in the United States.
In 2004, 1,638 children died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 214,000 were injured, Kearney said. "These deaths and injuries are even more tragic because many of them could have been prevented by the use of a booster seat."
Kearney's bill would not cover children younger than 8 who are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.