Senate Committee votes to strengthen Iowa seatbelt law

A Senate Committee has voted to strengthen Iowa’s seat belt laws for kids. The bill would require all children under the age of 10 to wear a seat belt. Current law only requires seat belt use in the back seat until age six. Senator David Johnson, a republican from Ocheyden says that’s not good enough. Johnson says the number one killer of children in the U.S. is traffic accidents. The bill would also require kids under the age of one — or babies lighter than 20 pounds — to be placed in a rear-facing car seat. Johnson says while that’s common practice, making it the law will save lives. Johnson’s bill does provide a “grace period” during which he says the public can be educated about the benefits of proper use and placement of child restraints. Johnson says tickets wouldn’t be written for a one-year period. Officers would issue warnings, and Johnson says that’d give plenty of time to educate people about the new law. The bill now goes to the full Senate. Two attempts in previous years to change the seat belt requirements for children have failed.