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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Booster seats
a good idea for
keiki despite lawQuestion: A recent "Kokua Line" column stated that the Hawaii child-passenger restraint law requires all children under the age of 4 to be in a safety seat. What is the requirement for children age 4 and up in regards to a booster seat? Is it a recommendation or part of the law?
Answer: Although several states require children up to a certain age or weight to be in booster seats, that is not a law in Hawaii.
Lawmakers did pass a bill in 2001 that would have required children ages 4-7 and up to 80 pounds to use a booster seat, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Ben Cayetano, who cited the concerns of parents with several children.
And although the Legislature has since revisited the issue, no similar measure has yet passed.
"We recommend that all children from 4 through 7 and under 80 pounds be in a booster seat because that's the best protection for children," said Eric Tash, manager of the Injury Prevention program of the state Department of Health. "Seat belts weren't designed for children."
He noted that state law does require all front-seat passengers and all passengers under the age of 18 riding in the back seat to be buckled up.
For those children roughly between 4 and 8, the dilemma is that while seat belts are better than nothing, they're still not as good as being strapped in a booster seat, Tash said.
According to the state Department of Transportation, the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition recommends that when children outgrow their child safety seats at about 40 pounds or age 4, that they be restrained in booster seats until they are big enough to fit in adult seats. That would be around 80 pounds or age 8.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends children be restrained in booster seats until they are 8, or until a child can sit with his/her back against the back cushion with knees bent over the seat cushion edge, and feet on the floor -- which is at a height of 4 feet 9 inches.
For more information, you can contact the Keiki Car Seat Hotline on Oahu at 538-3334 or on a neighbor island at 800-868-7300.
Q: The other day, while driving to work, I saw a black GMC Sierra pickup truck with HPD license plates. I thought that only police cruisers had those license plates.
A: All Honolulu Police Department vehicles, including cruisers, vans and trucks, have HPD plates, according to HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
The exception would be the undercover cars, for obvious reasons.
Q: Do you know of an organization that will accept a medium-size mango tree? I am looking to donate the tree to someone (or an organization) that might want it. The tree produces very tasty mangos. My family is planning to chop it down to make way for a new house.
A: If there's anyone out there interested, be warned that you'd have to be able to dig up the tree and haul it away.
If so, you can contact Michele via e-mail at petemart@aloha.com.
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