There was a time when taking your small kids out for a ride in the car wasn’t a project.

But a project it’s become since the introduction of car seat laws mandating that you secure your infant, toddler, or small child in particular ways.

Makes you wonder if we overprotect our kids a bit much – and how we, as adults, managed to survive without there being as many rules as there are in transporting children around.

Personally, as much as I think there are too many laws on the books, I don’t have a problem with the efforts of Senator Jim Beach in wanting to “modernize” the current child seat laws.

I have two grandchildren; so it’s naturally a concern of mine that they be secured properly.
Which they are.

The modernization Beach talks about, as far as I can see, has to do with spelling out the particulars of how to buckle your child into a car seat, and which type to use for which age group.

It should be common sense, but we all know how uncommon common sense is today.

Is this a good piece of legislation in your mind, or is it more government BS?

Parents would face more stringent car-seat rules for transporting children and would face higher penalties for violating them under a bill proposed in the state Senate today.

State Sen. James Beach (D-Camden) said the state’s child seat belt laws have to be modernized to include more specific rules.

Beach said, “The state’s current seat belt laws regarding young children are outdated and antiquated,” “The bill brings those laws into the 21st Century by applying modern standards endorsed by pediatricians that have proven to be safe and effective.”

Under current law, all children under 8 who weigh less than 80 pounds are required to be strapped into a child safety seat or booster seat.

Beach’s bill would require that the child seat must face the rear of the car if it’s placed in the backseat for children under 2 who weigh less than 30 pounds.

Children between the ages of 2 and 4 who weigh from 30 to 40 pounds would be required to placed in a five-point harness seat. And children from 4 to 8 who are under 57 inches tall would have to be placed either in a booster seat or five-point harness seat.

Penalties for violating the rules would increase from a minimum fine of $25 and maximum of $75. Currently, the minimum is $10 and the maximum is $25.

We have all sorts of laws on the books now that protect children from a myriad of ills - from child abuse to child neglect, and on and on. Will one more - spelling out in detail how to transport your child in a carseat matter much to you - or do you think it's more government overreach?

Please take the poll and comment as you see fit!

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