NTSB -- NTSB URGES ARIZONA, FLORIDA AND SOUTH DAKOTA TO ENACT CHILD BOOSTER SEAT LEGISLATION American Samoa and Puerto Rico Also Lack a Booster Seat Law

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2009

SB-09-49

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NTSB URGES ARIZONA, FLORIDA AND SOUTH DAKOTA TO ENACT CHILD

BOOSTER SEAT LEGISLATION

American Samoa and Puerto Rico Also Lack a Booster Seat Law

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The National Transportation Safety Board today called upon

Arizona, Florida and South Dakota to join the rest of the

country by passing booster seat legislation, as has been

recommended by the Board since 1996. The U.S. territories

of American Samoa and Puerto Rico also lack booster seat

laws for children.

"This coming week the nation observes National Child

Passenger Safety Week (September 12-18) with child safety

seat checks and other events throughout the United States

designed to educate and alert adults to the importance of

keeping our littlest passengers safe." said Chairman Deborah

A.P. Hersman. "Unfortunately, there are three states and two

U.S. territories that still do not mandate booster seats for

children." Hersman continued, "My colleagues and I hope that

2010 is the year that these legislatures will adopt this

best practice and increase our young children's safety in

cars across this entire country."

Improve Child Occupant Protection has been on the Safety

Board's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety

Improvements since 1997. Earlier this year Alaska,

Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands

enacted booster seat legislation, bringing the total to 47

states and three territories (the Northern Mariana Islands,

Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) that mandate booster

seats, though only 26 states (including all four states that

enacted laws in 2009 and the new booster seat law in New

York, which improved its booster seat law) mandate their use

through age 7, as the Board recommended.

Additional information about the NTSB's Most Wanted List can

be found on the NTSB website at

http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/mostwanted/index.htm

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NTSB Media Contact: Bridget Serchak

202-314-6100

Bridget.serchak@xxxxxxxx

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