Posted on: Monday, April 30, 2001

Safety-seat bill alive; pickup bill looks dead

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Transportation Writer

A legislative measure to require car booster seats for children 4 to 8 years old remains alive this session, while a bill expanding the prohibition of minors from riding in the back of pickup trucks appears dead.

State law already requires children under 4 to ride in car safety seats. An amended House Bill 135 on the booster seats made it through the House-Senate Conference Committee Thursday. The measure faces a final vote in the House and Senate.

The bill would require children 4 to 8 years old or who weigh less than 60 pounds to sit in a booster or safety seat, which places a small child more securely behind a seat belt. Last year, the state of Washington was the first to enact a law mandating the use of booster seats for children after a 4-year-old boy died after being thrown from a vehicle when he slid out of his seat belt.

Police have maintained that seat belts are not designed for a small child and can cause internal injuries during an accident if not worn correctly.

State law prohibits minors 12 years old and younger from riding in the back of pickup trucks. An amendment prohibiting passengers 17 years and under from riding in truckbeds had been added onto House Bill 135, but some key House members opposed it.

Many rural O'ahu and Neighbor Island legislators have spoken against the idea, saying pickups are the only means of transportation for some families who usually have to travel longer distances.

"For some rural areas like my Maui district, riding in trucks is the only way to get around," said House Transportation Committee chairman Joe Souki.