Sunday, November 21, 1999
Child safety seats essential
Troopers will cite violators
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON — Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers have a message for drivers during the busy Thanksgiving week: Make sure the infants and toddlers in your car are properly restrained or the troopers will get you.
Ohio troopers are joining a nationwide effort to cite violators of child safety restraint laws during the Thanksgiving holiday. The effort is the largest-ever coordinated crackdown on drivers who don't buckle up kids, said Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Timothy Bally.
“Troopers will be out in force protecting children from the greatest danger they face — being unrestrained in a crash,” Lt. Bally said. “The Thanksgiving holiday period ... historically has more crashes than any of the other holiday periods. You may not be able to avoid a crash, but you can decrease the chances of being seriously injured or killed if everyone is properly restrained with a safety belt or in a child safety seat.”
Ohio law requires children under age 4 or 40 pounds to be restrained in a child safety seat. Unlike the state's adult safety-belt law, the child safety law allows troopers to automatically stop drivers who don't have young children properly restrained, said Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Kenneth Marshall.
Throughout the week, troopers will be looking for child passenger restraint violations and pulling those drivers over.
“We will be issuing citations,” Col. Marshall said. “There will be no warnings.”
Even minor crashes can seriously injure small children who aren't properly re strained, he said.
Ohio's seat belt use is at 63 percent, and troopers are hoping Ohio legislators upgrade Ohio's safety belt law to a primary offense — which would allow police to stop a car whenever they notice the driver is not wearing a safety belt.
“A vast majority of Ohioans recognize we need a primary safety belt law,” Col. Marshall said.
Meantime, the patrol is gearing up for a busy Thanksgiving week, and it will have about 80 percent of its manpower out on the highways. The weekend is traditionally a heavily traveled — and deadly — time, Col. Marshall said.
A total of 22 people were killed in crashes on Ohio's roads over the Thanksgiving weekend last year.
“There will be an awful lot of traffic out there,” Col. Marshall said. “We will be taking a very strict stance on your basic traffic laws.”
Mike Brown not the villain in this farce
UC forges friendship with Cuba
City income tax challenged
DNA indicates female assailant in murder case
Lump of coal for the court
Art community abuzz about Big Pig Gig
How to submit a pig design
Little city makes big impression
Where willl the doctors go?
Airline profiles called biased
Chabot's grip on voters stronger than politics
Jail debate rages at meeting
Pay boosts for teachers, school boards proposed
Warrant Amnesty Day draws 15 people
Partial list of Kenton Co. warrants
Emeril is Elvis of food
GET TO IT
Last of 'Sarah' trilogy great TV literature
Right to a new life
Weight loss pointed out shallowness
Childhood should not be a college prep course
Locals catch raves in mags
Arts advocates need to learn art of politics
Board doing homework on levy request
Child safety seats essential
Employee fights compulsory dues
Fish story ends happily for psychologist
Mission's founder brings new vision to health care
More called to fight fire after arsonist hits
New era to arrive in Senate
Poll: Ohioans support death penalty
School not liable in rape of retarded student
Taft sees court role in school funding
TRISTATE DIGEST
Wife killed, husband hurt in crash
