FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 9, 2000

CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reminds motorists that the General Assembly amended Section 56-5-6410 of the South Carolina Code of Laws during the 1999 legislative session to revise the age requirement for using child safety seats.

House Bill 3411, which took effect upon Governor Hodges’ approval June 30, 1999, requires children three years of age or less to be properly secured in a child restraint system that meets the standards prescribed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Any child four or five years of age must be secured by a safety belt provided in the motor vehicle unless properly secured in a child restraint system that meets the standards prescribed by NHTSA.

"Unfortunately, many motorists are placing young children in grave danger by not complying with South Carolina’s child safety seat law," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "Our commitment to protecting young lives includes educating the public about the law’s requirements and offering child safety seat inspections to the public."

Midlands area residents may schedule an appointment for a safety seat inspection (for proper installation) through DPS by contacting Anne Stone at (803) 896-8146. Motorists outside the Columbia area may contact Ree Mallison at the South Carolina Health Alliance at 796-3080 to locate trained safety seat technicians in their area. A listing of all certified technicians in South Carolina is also available on the NHTSA website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps.

Last year in South Carolina, of the 16 children under six who died in traffic collisions, 10 of those children were unrestrained. In 1998, 16 children under six also died in traffic collisions, and 10 of those were also unrestrained. In addition, 35 unrestrained children under six suffered incapacitating injuries in 1999, and 27 in 1998.

The legal penalty for violation of this law is a fine of not more than $25. However, violation of this law could also result in death or injury to an unrestrained child involved in a crash. In a 30-mph crash, a 10-pound baby could be ripped from an adult’s arms with a force of 300 pounds and crushed against the dash or windshield.

A child has a 71 percent chance of surviving a crash, a 67 percent chance of not sustaining a serious injury, and a 50 percent chance of not receiving even minor injuries if he or she is properly placed in a child restraint device.

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JB/58/2000

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