Bill would strengthen car-seat regulations

By the time they head off for summer vacations, some Pennsylvania parents might have to comply with stricter car-seat rules for their children.

A bill on its way to Gov. Wolf would require children to ride in rear-facing car seats until age 2. Those who outgrow the height and weight requirements designated by the car-seat manufacturer would be exempted.

Current state laws require drivers to secure children under 4, but do not specify which direction the car seats must face.

The bill, which advocates say will help keep children safer in accidents, cruised to approval in the House on Monday.

A spokesman said Wolf would sign the bill. Pennsylvania would become the fourth state to enact the requirement.

The bill's author, Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D., Lehigh), said he hoped it would clear up any confusion for parents and prevent injury or death for Pennsylvania's youngest residents.

"This [bill] gets personal for me," said Schlossberg, who has two children under 6.

"It's personal for me because of my kids and the countless other parents who just don't realize just how easily one small mistake with a car seat can endanger their lives. By keeping your kids in rear-facing car seats as long as possible, it reduces their risk of injury and protects their life in the event of an accident."

The American Academy for Pediatrics revised its car-seat safety recommendations in 2011 to advise parents to keep children in a rear-facing seat until age 2 or they exceed the seat's height and weight requirements, citing added support for a child's head, neck, and spine.

State Sen. Pat Browne (R., Lehigh), the bill's primary sponsor, did much of the legwork to get the bill to Wolf's desk, Schlossberg said.

The bipartisan effort was supported by the Pennsylvania AAA Federation, Schlossberg said. AAA also recommends children be secured in a rear-facing seat until age 2.

The law would be enforced as a secondary offense, meaning drivers would be cited for a car-seat violation only if pulled over for other reasons.

In the first year, drivers would not be cited and would receive a warning, Schlossberg said.

The bill would take effect 60 days after being signed.

crmossbrook@gmail.com; @CarleyMossbrook.