In an effort to save lives and prevent hundreds of injuries to children, State Senator Michael Balboni (R/C-Mineola) recently announced that both houses of the State Legislature have passed a bill requiring children under age 16 to wear seatbelts when riding in the rear seat of a car. Current law only requires children up to the age of 10 be restrained when traveling in the rear seat.

"Far too often, we hear the tragic reports of children who have died or been needlessly injured in automobile accidents all because they were not wearing seat belts," said Balboni. "Statistics clearly indicate that using seat belts is the most effective way to save lives and minimize injuries on our roadways. Requiring children under the age of 16 to wear seat belts is a common sense method to ensure safety and protect our kids."

Traffic statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration support the need for more stringent seat belt use: motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 - 14. Tragically, but not surprisingly, nearly six out of 10 children who die in crashes are unbelted. Experts agree that buckled-up in the rear seat is the safest position for young passengers.

If enacted into law by the governor, the legislation would go into effect 90 days after its signing, and would impose fines ranging between $25 to $100 for drivers whose passengers are not in compliance with the new regulation.

Under current New York statute, all passengers riding in front seats must wear a seat belt, and rear passengers under age 10 must wear seat belts. Children under age 5 or 40 pounds are required by law to be buckled into approved safety seats, but legislation has been introduced to mandate booster seat use by all children between 40 and 80 pounds.

"The high mortality rate for children in automobile accidents warrants this legislation. Seat belts save lives for all passengers, young and old," said Balboni.