One Mobile, Ala. mom is looking to her fellow Alabamians for support in protecting children across the Yellowhammer State.
On Saturday, Katelynn Singleton started a Change.org petition to change state law requiring children’s car seats to be rear facing rather than forward facing.
According to current Alabama law, children of certain ages and sizes to be seated in appropriate child car seats or face a $25 fine. Singleton’s problem the law is that it requires one to five year old children to sit in a forward-facing car seat, rather than a rear-facing seat despite studies that have shown rear-facing to be safer for the child.
“Child car seat laws in Alabama are outdated and unsafe. They are so detrimental to children’s safety, any accident could cause severe harm or worse.. death. We need YOUR voice to speak for the innocent,” the petition reads.
“Studies have shown that children riding in a rear-facing car seat are 5 times safer. This is because when rear facing children’s backs, necks and heads are all being supported by the seat during a crash. Once they are turned forward facing their bodies are being restrained by the harness straps but their necks and heads are left unsupported experience the crash energy.”
Singleton is looking for at least 500 signatures before delivering her letter to Gov. Kay Ivey, the Alabama Legislature and U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Luther Strange requesting a change in car seat policy.
“It’s the absolute responsibility of our governing body to implement laws that protect our children and grandchildren,” commented Jennifer Stephens from Rainsville, Ala. on the petition.
At the time of publishing, the petition had 201 signatures.
