Connecticuts Booster Seat Law

1
Connecticuts Booster Seat Law

• Karen Brock, MPH
• Director, Connecticut SAFE KIDS

2
Connecticuts Child Passenger Safety Law

• Effective October 1, 2005
• Connecticut is the 34th state to get a booster
  seat law

3
History of Booster Seat Bills in Connecticut

• 2002 Died in Education Committee
• 2003 Passed Senate, Died in House (never
  brought to a vote in House)
• 2004 Passed Senate, Died in House (was
  discussed but was then Pass Temporarily on
  second to last day of session)

4
History of Booster Seat Bills in Connecticut

• 2005 Successfully passed both houses of
  Connecticut General Assembly
• Signed by Governor on June 2, 2005
• Law goes into effect on October 1, 2005

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Booster Seat Law

• As of October 1st, children must be
  in an appropriate child restraint
  system until they are
  over 6 years old
  and over 60 pounds

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Other parts of the new CPS Law

• Infants must remain
• rear-facing until they
• are at least one year old
• and at least 20 pounds

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Penalty

• Violators of the car seat law must pay a fine and
  are required to attend a 2 hour car seat
  education class at DMV
• Driver gets the
• ticket, regardless
• of relationship
• to child

8
Consistent Allies

• Statewide Safe Kids effort
• All coalitions and chapters worked toward one
  goal
• Always had a local contact for a legislator
• Different lead agencies also helped bring
  different resources

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Consistent Allies

• Coalition members
• Public hearings (impressive showing of diverse
  professions supporting the bill)
• Wrote letters, emails, made phone calls
• Many already had personal relationships with
  legislators

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Consistent Allies

• CT Department of Public Health
• Lobbyist worked with us for 3 years
• Helped develop relationship with Speaker of the
  House
• CT College of Emergency Physicians
• Gave advice on strategy
• Lent authority as medical doctor

11
Stickers
Stickers worn at public hearing Sent in
legislative packets Given out at car seat clinics
I support a Booster Seat bill
12
Postcard Campaign

• Given/Filled out by coalition members
• Hospital lunchtime drive
• Postcards
• held and
• mailed by
• coalition until
• vote

13
Legislative packets

• Personalized letter
• Sent about week before vote
• Sent to each committee, each time they voted
• Included letter, booster seat info, other states
  laws, sticker, etc

14
Timeliness of response

• Used listserve to get information to coalition
  members to ask for help
• Gave specific examples of email script or phone
  script and quick facts
• Gave list of members to contact sorted by
  hometown

15
Enforcement

• Still working on getting everyone on same page as
  to meaning of the law
• Worked with DOT to send tear-off pads to day
  cares and doctors offices
• Worked with Dept of Education to send flyer out
  to every kindergartener and first grader in CT

16
Enforcement

• Sent out flyer to every state police troop and
  local police department
• Conducted training on our law and booster seat
  laws nationwide at annual statewide conference
• All information posted on websites
• Made a FAQ sheet for parents

17
Continued enforcement

• More train-the-trainers (targeted at day care
  providers, techs, etc)
• Targeted media around the holidays
• Additional forms of information to specific
  groups in new year

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Contact Information

• Karen Brock, MPH
• Director, Connecticut SAFE KIDS
• 282 Washington Street
• Hartford, CT 06106
• 860-545-9977
• kbrock_at_ccmckids.org