Bill would require young children to ride in back ($250 fine, California)

kget ^

[chance33_98]

Bill would require young children to ride in back

(Sacramento-AP) -- A parent who allowed a young child to ride in the front seat of a car could be fined up to 250 dollars under a bill approved by the state Assembly.

Current law already requires children who are under age six or who weigh less than 60 pounds to ride in a child passenger restraint seat.

The bill by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills would require that those children also be carried in the back seat.

Supporters say the bill would reduce the risk of injury or death to the child when there's a traffic accident.

The bill would allow exceptions when the car doesn't have a back seat or is filled with other young children or when a child must ride in front for medical reasons.

Today's 58 to 11 vote sent the measure to the Senate.

[Savage Beast]

Soon the "Liberal" taliban will control the clothes your child wears, how long his hair can be, ban kite flying, control the temperature of your bath water, whether or not you can have bath water, what you can eat, what you can say, what you can think. Then cameras will be installed in every dwelling place...

I'm surprised they haven't thought of placing cameras in automobiles--to make sure citizens are wearing their seatbelts, not smoking, and not using unacceptable language or expressing unacceptable ideas, keeping their children out of the front seat, et al.

Give "Liberals" enough time. They'll get around to all of this.

[tomakaze]

is there any crap that Californians wont put up with? Sheeze.

[x1stcav]

What no criminal penalties? No RICO? The demonrats are slipping if all they're trying to impose are monetary penalites.

[L`enn]

I don't know if it is so much being a Taliban type (though that is in there). It is always my opinion that most motor vehicle safety laws are enacted as tools to increase the state coffers. Watch as the various states face fiscal problems for more of these laws to start being enacted.

[nightdriver]

"I don't know if it is so much being a Taliban type (though that is in there). It is always my opinion that most motor vehicle safety laws are enacted as tools to increase the state coffers."

You got it!

The only laws that get enforced on Washington's highways are the ones that bring in revenue.

[ChemistCat]

So shoot me: I think it's reasonable. Cleaning up after accidents is largely done at public expense, by public employees who hate to see smushed kids, and the back seat is much safer than the front for younger children. You tell people and tell people and they go, "Duh." So you resort to making a law.

Every state has an interest in lowering the fatality rates of auto accidents, and this will do that. Faster clean-up of accidents makes life easier for everybody and far less stress for the public servant. Ever see a cop on the scene of a bad accident cleaning up blood? It's not a fun job. Things like that lead to worker's comp claims.

If we ever find a way to have people completely fund cleaning up after themselves then please get rid of all such laws. As long as I have to help pay for the stupidity of others, let's restrict their most obvious stupidity. (But don't make the laws if you won't enforce 'em!)

It's a state matter, by the way--not a federal matter. I'd oppose federal legislation on the topic, even if it was written exactly the same way.

[Jhoffa_]

I am so sick of these laws, I don't care if parents let their kids ride on the hood.

I don't care who dies as a result and I don't care if it costs taxpayers a billion dollars annualy to scrape kiddie remains off the highway.

I just want Government to GO AWAY and leave people be.

At this point, I don't care who dies as a result. I don't even care if they die from a (gasp) gun.

Juse leave people alone for crying out loud.

[tomakaze]

Sorry bud, nothing personal but this is a load of crap.
 
RE:leaning up after accidents is largely done at public expense, by public employees who hate to see smushed kids,
 
They knew that when they took the job.
 
re:makes life easier for everybody and far less stress for the public servant. Ever see a cop on the scene of a bad accident cleaning up blood? It's not a fun job
 
Again...they knew that when they signed on, so why the hell should the rest of us have to reorganize our selves and ways of doing things, give up yet more freedom, give the damned govermnment even more power over things that are none of it's concern, in order to make life easier for the damned public employees, as if they dont have it cushy enough as it is?

[EggsAckley]

Not gonna shoot ya, gonna agree with ya.

Having just spent three days with a three-year-old, the thought of her precious little skull hitting a windshield is very disturbing.

[John Jorsett]

Trouble is, these laws are enacted before any assessment is done to see what the side effects might be. Air bags sounded like a great idea, until it turned out that they kill kids and short adults under some circumstances. In this case, has anyone studied whether having the kid in the back might be a distraction for the driver and actually cause more accidents? I'm betting the answer is no.

[ChemistCat]

You're giving up considerable amounts of money now to clean up after people who don't understand physics, yet are still permitted to drive motor vehicles.

State control of laws like this gives us the freedom to fight to get them enacted or removed.

And yes, studies have been done. There is no doubt that small children are much safer in the back seat.

[theFIRMbss]

>Bill would require young children to ride in back

It's always appeared
to me that riding in back
can cause a young child

to experience
a kind of separation
anxiety. (We

adults call "shotgun"
because we hate the back seat...)
So, to "protect" kids

from potential hurt
of a crash, we cause real harm
mentally in back...

I bet, over time,
the net result will be worse
from riding in back.

[ChemistCat]

You speak like a man who has forgotten 9/11. Did they sign up for that? Was that cushy?

But they went into that building to save lives because it is what they signed up for. I think we owe it to our police and firefighters to make their jobs easier. Cleaning up broken dead kids unnecessarily has to be the hardest, saddest job any human being can have.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There ought to be a $10,000 fine for anyone stupid enough to raize a child in Kalifornia.

[10mm]

I predict this will INCREASE highway deaths as parents will now have to TURN AROUND to slap their little darlings, taking their eyes off the road.

Screeeeeeech.....CRASH!

[nothingnew]

I don't have a back seat in my Datsun 4/w truck. Does that mean I can't have a child in the passenger seat at any time? Just more $$$ raising stupid laws.

FMCDH

[ChemistCat]

You didn't read it. There are exceptions for vehicles with no backseat or backseats already full with young children.

[Jhoffa_]

You know, I hate to admit this.. but my irresponsible parents allowed me to ride in the front seat during my youth. Sometimes, we would even (gasp) drive to the store without seatbelts on!

Somehow I made it.. amazing, eh?

Do you think "survivor" would be interested in doing an episode on me?

[Adams]

"I don't know if it is so much being a Taliban type (though that is in there). It is always my opinion that most motor vehicle safety laws are enacted as tools to increase the state coffers."

Then they shouldb eable to close the states budget gap just by enforcing this in East L.A. alone. Nothing but Chevy's with 4 to 5 kids stuffed in the front and back seats on their parents' laps.