EXCERPT FROM: 10connects.com
By Melvin Beal
Tampa, Florida -- Buckling up your child is not enough, according to a child safety advocacy group in Tampa. They're pushing for a new state bill that will require the use of booster seats for children under eight.
Melanie Costner takes her daughter's safety seriously, especially when it comes to riding in a car. She makes sure her daughter is properly secured in a car seat.
"I passed by a very tragic accident where the mother had not securely place a child in the proper car seat and the child was thrown out of the car seat," said Melanie Costner.
Florida is one of three states without a booster seat law but, now, advocates hope to change that. They met with legislators about sponsoring a bill requiring children between four and eight to be secured in a child restraint device.
"You hear over and over again of children being thrown out of a vehicle. If you're in an accident, you have a 30 percent chance of being thrown out of your vehicle, and those who get thrown out of the vehicle, there's a 35-percent chance that they're going to die," said Hillsborough State Representative Rich Glorioso.
Vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of kids between the ages of two and 14 and, while most parents support this bill, some are concerned about the bill being based on age, as oppose to the height and weight of the child.