House Republicans Support New Child Safety Law
June 18, 2008
“There are grave health consequences to a leaving a child in a car unattended for a long period of time” said Representative Lynn Finnegan. “A 2003 CDC study found that during July 2000 to June 2001 an estimated 9,160 non-fatal injuries and 78 fatal injuries occurred in children 14 and younger as a result of being left unattended in or around motor vehicles not in traffic. At least other twelve states have found this problem serious enough to adopt similar language and it is time that Hawaii joins them. I thank Governor Lingle for signing this important bill.”
The Governor signed Senate Bill 2245, an important bill for the safety of our children. The bill will make it violation of the statewide traffic to leave a child under the age of unattended in a motor vehicle for 5 minutes or longer. The legislation will additionally insure the safety of children by requiring the driver’s exam to specifically test the applicant’s knowledge of the traffic code regarding leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle
This legislation will also ensure the safety of our young children by granting law enforcement officers, firefighters, or rescue team personnel the ability to use whatever means that are necessary to protect the child and remove the child from the motor vehicle if the official believes the unattended child is in physical danger.
“This part of the bill will be very helpful to ensure the safety of our keiki,” said Representative Corinne Ching. “There is no greater punishment than the loss of a child, and as a parent of a young child, I sympathize with parents who have considered leaving children in their car because the errand will only take a few seconds.
But this law will help make it clear that the risk is not worth the consequence.”
“As a parent, I’d much rather pay the fine than find my child hurt,” concluded Representative Lynn Finnegan.
