Senator Charles J. Fuschillo recently reminded all New Yorkers that effective Nov. 28, a new state law will require all children under the age of 16 to wear a safety belt or other appropriate restraining device when traveling in the rear seat of a car. The new law authored by Fuschillo makes New York the 26th state in the nation to have such a seat belt law.

"Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer and disabler of children and young adults," said Fuschillo, member of the Senate Transportation Committee. "This new law closes a loophole in New York state's child restraint laws that originally only required children up to 10 years of age to be buckled up or properly restrained in the rear seat. By extending the age through 15, thousands of young lives will hopefully be saved and even more injuries will be prevented."

According to the National Safety Council, if children under the age of 16 are properly restrained, it is estimated that 630 lives would be saved nationwide and 182,000 serious injuries would be prevented every year. For children ages 5-12, auto crash injuries are the leading cause of death. According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, in 1995, 68% of children ages 10-15 who were killed as passengers in cars were not restrained by seat belts. Further studies show that from 1975 through 1997, it is estimated that safety belts saved 100,998 lives, including 10,750 lives saved in 1997. If all passenger vehicle occupants over age 4 wore safety belts, 20,351 lives (that is, an additional 9,601) could have been saved in 1997.

"Studies show that in a 30 mph crash, an unbuckled child is hit with a force equivalent to falling from a third-story window," Fuschillo said. "Highway deaths are the number one killer of children in our nation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cites that the safest position for young passengers is buckled up in the rear seat where there are one third fewer fatalities."

In the November issue of Car and Travel magazine, Marta Genovese, chair of the state's Automobile Legislative Committee said the new measure "will help prevent serious injuries and save the lives of countless young children and teens in the years to come."

"While further protecting children, the new law may also bring awareness to the importance of wearing safety belts and create lifelong habits that passengers will buckle up no matter what their age or seat they travel in a car," the Senator added.