Supporters of Iowa’s new child safety seat law celebrated today — the first day the new law takes effect. The new law requires children to either be in a car seat — or a seatbelt, depending on their age and weight — when riding in a vehicle. Kristi Knouse of West Des Moines calls it a very happy day. She says it was a raining night in 1999 when they saw first-hand how child seats save lives. Another car struck their S-U-V, totaling both vehicles, but her son was not hurt as he was in a car seat. Knouse says the new law will make a big difference.She says she believes this law will give parents, grandparents and caregivers the guidance they need to keep their children safe as passengers in vehicles. She says this law will save countless Iowa childrens’ lives. Jon Bronemann of Cedar Falls told how his wife never had a chance to get out the way of a driver going the wrong way on the Interstate. Her car flipped and she was killed — but Bronemann says his son survived because he was in a car seat. Bronemann says the cost of a car seat is not an excuse for not protecting your children. He says you’ve have to feed, clothe, educate and recreate your kids too, it’s all part of raising them. He says, “No-one said it’d be easy, and it definitely isn’t cheap, but can you really put a price on your child’s safety? I certainly don’t.” Bronemann says you also need to be sure the car seats or seatbelt is used properly. He says the single most informative piece of information they found were the instructions on the box of the car seat on how to install it. For more information on the new law surf to www.blankchildrens.org. — or check with your local law enforcement agency.
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