Bill to expand car seat rule passes Senate

Children in Massachusetts would be required to continue using automobile booster seats until age 8 under a bill unanimously approved by the state Senate yesterday.

The bill, which still needs approval by the House, brought mixed reaction from parents, with some saying that it is their responsibility to make this kind of decision, not the state's.

Currently, children riding in automobiles must be in booster seats until they are 6 years old or weigh more than 40 pounds. The bill, sponsored by Senator Steven A. Baddour of Methuen, adds two years to the age limit and drops the weight requirement, setting a minimum of 57 inches in height instead.

Supporters say the law would cut down on a growing number of vehicle accidents that injure children even when they are wearing a seat belt.

"Young children are dying in car accidents when their parents think they're safe," said Robert P. Murray, senior vice president of American Automobile Association Southern New England. "In a bad accident, the seat belt catches the child across the neck or the abdomen and can cause tremendous internal damage to the child."

If it passes the law, Massachusetts would follow 38 states and the District of Columbia. The federal government is providing $25 million over the next four years to states that adopt enhanced booster seat laws, and the bill would make Massachusetts eligible for up to $750,000 in federal funds.

Car accidents are the top killer of children between ages 4 and 8, according to statistics provided by the Senate president's office. The statistics also show that children in booster seats are 58 percent less likely to be killed in a car crash than those wearing seat belts.

"For $10, $20, $30, you can't put a price on saving a child's life," Baddour said.

Parents who do not comply would be fined $25, the same as under the current law.

Playing with their 1-year-old son at Boston Common yesterday, Richie Accime and Paige Fernandes, both 19-year-olds from Everett, said parents should decide when to take their children out of a booster seat because they know when the child is mature enough for a seat belt. They also pointed out that some 8-year-olds can be too big for a booster seat, even if they're not yet 57 inches tall.

"I feel like my son is already too big for the car seat," Fernandes said of Isaiah, who weighs 33 pounds. "At 8 years old, he's going to be big."

Christopher Ott, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the bill could lead to police discrimination.

"We just wouldn't want to see a booster seat law that is probably very well-intentioned and probably a very good idea become a part of the racial profiling problem," Ott said.

Representative James H. Fagan, a Democrat from Taunton who has opposed authorizing police to conduct seat belt stops, said booster seats are a different issue.

"Responsibilities first, rights next," said Fagan, who added that he drives his grandchildren in their own safety seats. "I think it's a clear responsibility not just for parents, but for any adult who drives a car with children in it."

Caitlin Gardner -- a 21-year-old who works as a nanny of two children, ages 19 months and 4 years -- said booster seats take up a lot of room and can be a hassle to move from one vehicle to another.

But 16-year-old Lisa Romero, who has a 2-year-old son, said she's glad legislators are considering raising the age requirement.

"For me, it's easy to put my son in the car seat," Romero said. "I can see what's he's doing when I'm driving. If anything happens, I know he's OK."

April Simpson can be reached at asimpson@globe.com.