Different areas of Georgia are taking proactive steps to educate the public about new child safety seat requirements as well as enforce the new law. The new Georgia child safety seat law, effective on July 1st, requires children under 8 to be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat while riding in cars, vans, SUV’s, and pickup trucks. Around the state, organizations have taken opportunities to make sure the public is prepared to keep their children safe by organizing events including fundraising drives to provide child seats to needy families in Albany, a child restraint safety fair in Chatsworth, and a child passenger safety seat check-up at Fort Gordon.
The previous child restraint law required children under the age of 6 to be restrained in a child safety seat. A first conviction carries a fine of $50 and one point against the license. Second and subsequent convictions carry fines of $100 and two points assessed. Child passenger safety (CPS) inspections are offered throughout the country. To assure that you are compliant, find the closest inspection location to you by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website or attend one of the many events hosted by community groups and the Georgia State Patrol that have taken place since the law change.
Car seats have proven to be effective, and according to the AAA, child seats are at least 71 percent effective in preventing injury to infants and 45 percent effective in preventing injury to children ages 4 to 8 when properly installed and used. According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, in 2008, a total of 14,154 children between the ages of 6 and 8 were involved in motor vehicle crash in Georgia. Of those children, there were 1,755 injuries and 10 fatalities. Only 12% of these children were reported to be using a restraint such as a booster seat or child safety seat.
As shown by many recent tragedies in Georgia and the United States, children that are not properly restrained are more susceptible to serious injuries or death in an automobile accident. These new laws seek to drastically improve the safety of Georgia’s most precious asset - its children.
If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident, contact one of our dedicated Atlanta car accident lawyers to see if you could possibly enter a lawsuit to recover compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. Contact us today for a free, no-risk case evaluation. Our attorneys can handle any auto accidents, including those caused by issues like drowsy driving.
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