PRINTER'S NO. 9
No. 11 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY RUBLEY, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BALDWIN, BEBKO-
JONES, BUNT, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, CLYMER, CORRIGAN, COY,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS,
FLEAGLE, FLICK, FORCIER, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, HARHAI,
HARHART, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, JAMES,
KELLER, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEDERER, LEWIS, MANDERINO,
MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McILHATTAN, MELIO, S. MILLER, PAYNE,
PIPPY, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROSS, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR,
SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
STURLA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO,
TRUE, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG,
JANUARY 28, 2003
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JANUARY 28, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Declaring the week of February 9 through 15, 2003, as "Child
2 Passenger Safety Week."
3 WHEREAS, More children in the United States are killed and
4 crippled in car crashes than any other cause of injury; and
5 WHEREAS, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death
6 for children from four to 14 years of age; and
7 WHEREAS, Children from two to five years of age who are
8 placed in seat belts rather than child safety seats or booster
9 seats are three and one-half times more likely to be
10 significantly injured in a crash and are four times more likely
11 to receive a significant head injury; and
12 WHEREAS, Fifty-six percent of all children under 15 years of
1 age killed in car crashes in 2000 were completely unrestrained;
2 and
3 WHEREAS, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
4 Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats, when correctly used,
5 can reduce fatalities and are one of the most effective safety
6 innovations ever developed; and
7 WHEREAS, Child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury
8 by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers in passenger cars;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico
11 and the United States Territories have enacted laws requiring
12 the use of child passenger protection systems; and
13 WHEREAS, Many child passenger safety seats are misused in
14 some way and correct placement and harnessing are critical to
15 ensure adequate protection; and
16 WHEREAS, Infants should always be placed in rear-facing seats
17 until they are at least one year of age and weigh 20 pounds; and
18 WHEREAS, Children who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds should
19 be placed in forward-facing safety seats; and
20 WHEREAS, All children who have outgrown child safety seats
21 should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at
22 least eight years of age, unless they are four feet nine inches
23 tall; and
24 WHEREAS, Children in rear-facing child seats should not be
25 placed in the front seat of vehicles with passenger air bags as
26 the impact of a deploying air bag on a rear-facing child seat
27 could injure the child; and
28 WHEREAS, Children 12 years of age and younger should ride in
29 the back seat; and
30 WHEREAS, Death and injury may be significantly reduced
20030H0011R0009 - 2 -
1 through greater public awareness, information, education and
2 enforcement of child passenger safety seat laws; therefore be it
3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, in recognition
4 of every child's right to adequate protection when being
5 transported in a motor vehicle, declare the week of February 9
6 through 15, 2003, as "Child Passenger Safety Week."
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