Tots, Teens and Safety
Maryland lawmakers have a chance to save some young lives.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

TUCKED INTO the end-of-session bundle of bills before the Maryland General Assembly are several auto safety and teen drinking measures that address major problems for minor travelers. One proposal would suspend driver's licenses for teens who commit serious infractions; another would bring Maryland's child booster-seat laws into line with those of every nearby state and the District. Both are sound lifesaving proposals, worthy of passage. In addition, a bill scheduled to be taken up in a House committee today would classify "alcopops" -- fruity beverages laced with alcohol -- as beer, which they are not; they are distilled spirits. Beers are taxed at a lower rate and can be sold at convenience stores and other spots more likely to be frequented by young people. The makers of these seemingly innocent but decidedly loaded drinks are pushing hard for the bill, but thoughtful lawmakers should resist.

Last fall, 13 teenagers died on roads in the Washington suburbs in about a month. Under a bill introduced by Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery) and passed unanimously by the Senate, drivers younger than 18 who are deemed to have been drinking while driving, or who leave the scene of an accident or flee a police officer would automatically lose driving privileges for at least six months. Teenage drinking already is against the law, but traffic safety organizations say the prospect of losing a license would be an effective additional deterrent. The bill is now before the House of Delegates, which should approve it.

The booster-seat proposal, introduced by Del. William A. Bronrott (D-Montgomery) and Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Montgomery), would require that children under age 8 ride in such seats, which is the law throughout the rest of the mid-Atlantic region. Current Maryland law applies only to children who are younger than 6 or who weigh 40 pounds or less. The legislation would apply to all vehicles on Maryland's roads, just as other states' requirements apply to any vehicles traveling their roads. (So Maryland cars must have boosters when they leave the state, anyway.)

After the bill cleared a Senate committee by a 10 to 0 vote and went to the Senate floor, Sens. Robert A. Zirkin (D-Baltimore County) and E.J. Pipkin (R-Queen Anne's) complained that it would interfere with parental decision-making. Is using a booster safety seat -- readily available for as little as $15 -- such a hard decision? Mr. Zirkin succeeded in attaching a poison-pill amendment cutting out all age requirements and increasing the weight standard to 50 pounds. The bill is slated to come up today in the House Environmental Matters Committee, where chairman Maggie L. McIntosh (D-Baltimore) and vice chairman James E. Malone Jr. (D-Baltimore County) should push to reinstate the under-8 standard. If lawmakers need added incentive, passage would make the state eligible for extra federal highway safety funds -- $1 million over two years -- for traffic safety services such as loaner and free booster seats and safety education programs. Countless studies show that booster seats significantly reduce injuries and save young lives. That should be incentive enough to enact a sensible bill before adjournment.