Siona Peterous, correspondent
RICHMOND, Va 鈥� that require kids under the age of 2 鈥� or children who are below the manufacturer’s suggested weight limit 鈥� to be placed in a rear-facing car seat.
The new law, House Bill 708, which Gov. Ralph Northam signed last month, will go into effect July 1, 2019. It was introduced by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, after she was approached by AAA about the issue.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud to patron this bill because I have always worked on issues about public safety and kids鈥� safety,鈥� Filler-Corn said. 鈥淗ow could I not introduce a bill that will save lives and protect our most vulnerable Virginians, our children?鈥�
According to Martha Meade, the public and government affairs manager for Virginia鈥檚 AAA鈥檚 Mid-Atlantic region, the association has lobbied for issues of public safety on the roads for decades.
鈥淭his is an important change for Virginia because it is confusing for many folks who don鈥檛 know when the right time is to switch their child to be forward-facing in vehicles,鈥� Meade said. 鈥淎ll the major traffic safety organizations 鈥� AAA, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, National Highway Safety Administration and the Academy of Pediatrics 鈥� recommend a child stays rear-facing until age 2, or until they’ve reached the minimum weight and height requirement.鈥�
Filler-Corn said she was surprised, but not discouraged, by the intensity of the opposition to what she views as a 鈥渃ommon-sense safety measure.鈥� Critics of the bill argued that the government should not have a role in how parents choose to raise and protect their children.
The bill went through several rounds of amendments before passing the House 77-23 and the Senate 23-17. Filler-Corn said she received bipartisan support. Sen. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, and Sen Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, were 鈥渁mazing and very supportive鈥� advocates for the bill.
鈥淓veryone has the right to raise their children as they see fit, but this really is a safety measure statistically proven to work,鈥� Filler-Corn said. 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 faced with opposition, I compare the enforcement of rear-facing child seats to the requirement of everyone having to wear a seat belt. It鈥檚 very similar, but one is focused on children who can鈥檛 make decisions to protect themselves.鈥�
and do not yet have the rear-facing-seat requirement.
The American Academy of Pediatrics produced an online video (below) that shows the proper way to install such seats.
from on .
蜜桃视频app’s Kristi King contributed to this report.
