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CNN Live At Daybreak

Improving Federal Testing Standards for Child Booster Seats

Aired July 05, 2001 - 08:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Legislation is being introduced in Congress to improve federal testing methods for child booster seats in cars. It will also encourage states to pass stricter laws on the use of the seats. Backing the bill is Autumn Skeen, safety ambassador for the Ford Motor Company program Boost America. Skeen's 4-year-old son died in a car crash in 1996.

Ms. Skeen, thanks so much for being here.

AUTUMN SKEEN, SAFETY AMBASSADOR, BOOST AMERICA: Thank you.

MCEDWARDS: Tell us what happened in the accident that killed your son.

SKEEN: Well, it was a summer vacation trip. He and I were in a SUV and heading down to the family cabin. And on an interstate, we were in a triple rollover. And Anton was in an adult seat belt, according to Washington state law. But when the state patrol got there, the seat belt was still clicked shut, but Anton was gone. He had been throne clear from the car. His head was crushed and he was killed.

MCEDWARDS: I'm so sorry.

At that time, did you know about booster seats? Did you know about the danger of putting a small child into an adult seat belt?

SKEEN: No. And this is one of the reasons that I'm involved, is that I had actually researched this issue in 1993, writing a column for -- on the lack of car seats on Indian reservations. So I was very aware of what the law was and also the reasons for our car seats and so on. But it never occurred to me that we would have a law in place that was inadequate when it came to protecting children's lives. So that day I trusted the law when I put him in that adult lap/shoulder belt.

MCEDWARDS: So I guess it's public education that's a large part of what you're doing, just letting people know that this is unsafe.

SKEEN: Well, yes, it is. And I wish that's all it would take. But you would be surprised how many people are not willing to listen. They don't want to hear that there's a third stage that's necessary before these kids are going into adult seat belts. MCEDWARDS: And even if they are aware, if they have a booster seat and are using it, explain what's wrong with the federal standards that are in place to monitor the quality of those booster seats.

SKEEN: Well, I would say that the federal government has not done us any favors. They have known about this problem since the late 1980s and they have allowed parents like me to basically walk into this trap. They have not developed a dummy past 50 pounds. And that's precisely what Senator Fitzgerald's bill on the Child Passenger Safety Act is meant to rectify.

It's time. It's more than time to get going on this issue.

MCEDWARDS: Now, what are you hoping that Senator Peter Fitzgerald's bill -- what do you hope that it's going to accomplish?

SKEEN: Well, the more I've looked into this issue, I realize we have a patchwork of laws across this country. Child passenger safety laws have been politicized. A child in North Carolina has different rules than a child in Texas. A child in California has different rules than a child in Michigan.

And the wonderful thing about this bill is that it presents the possibility of a template of best practice use that states will meet. And why would we want anything less? So, in other words, we're setting the standard and say: OK, everybody -- just like they do, you know, with testing for kids -- all you states, get your child passenger safety regulations up to snuff.

MCEDWARDS: All right, Autumn Skeen, thank you very much for your time today. Good luck with the legislation. We appreciate it.

SKEEN: Thank you.

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