SPARTANBURG, SC (WSPA) – An Upstate senator has re-introduced a bill to update South Carolina’s car seat law.
The proposed bill would require infants to stay in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Right now, the South Carolina law requires it until age 1.
The bill would also make older children sit in forward facing seats until they’re 8 years old instead of the current required age of 6.
“Along with those recommendations, also that a child under the age of 12 is not in the front seat,” said Cynthia Fryer with Safe Kids Upstate.
The proposed changes are more of an update to bring the current state law up to national standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fryer says with three out of four parents installing car seats incorrectly, their goal is to make sure families are always up to speed and avoid the most common mistakes.
“If it’s a rear facing, they’ll turn it forward facing too early,” said Fryer. “Or if they are in a forward facing car seat, a convertible seat, they’ll move them to the booster seat too early.”
The proposed car seat bill is sitting in the Senate Transportation Committee.
Senator Tom Alexander of Walhalla is one of the bill’s sponsors. He tells us he’s pushing to move it forward in 2016 when the next legislative session begins in January.
To read the full bill, click here.
