Bottom line: four foot nine

BY CHUCK TUCK | JOURNAL REPORTER Sit tall and buckle up for safety, especially if you’re less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

Like many amusement park rides, children under a certain age and or height are restricted from scary rides, and riding in a car without being properly seated and buckled can be as scary as it gets.

Preschoolers at Sunnyside Preschool in Marysville were given first-hand instructions on safety and the new car seat and booster seat law.

Chief Tom Greene of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department along with Cindy Brengman Director of Sunnyside Preschool showed preschoolers how to safely buckle themselves into a booster seat.

Not only were the children shown how to safely use a booster seat, they were also quizzed and instructed on other safety tips they learned in school.

“Practicing safety skills with professionals like Chief Greene in the classroom environment helps to build trust and familiarize the children with those who are there to help them and their families in a time of need,” said Brengman.

The newly revised state law went into effect on June 1 requiring children 8 years old and under or shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches tall to be in a booster or car seat.

Children under 13 years of age should be in the back seat at all time if possible.

Parents of the violators can expect to pay a $112 fine if they are not in compliance with the car seat and booster law.

Statistically it has been proven that safety belts save lives, but children and shorter people need to pay extra attention when it comes to using seat belts; and that means, properly using booster and car seats.

Because the seatbelts are more accurately designed for someone 4 feet 9 inches tall, and taller, booster seats are needed to prevent injury to a short person when riding in vehicles and wearing a seatbelt.

Car seats and boosters help in a way that either raises the child high enough that the shoulder belt of the seatbelt does not cross the neck area or the lap portion of the seatbelt does not injure the pelvic area.

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