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Tougher seat belt law for kids may be considered
Published 12:00 p.m., January 13, 2009
Brynn Duncan
A devastating accident in Fergus Falls this summer could lead to a state law requiring stiffer seat belt regulations for children up to the age of 8.
That’s the hope of Dixie Duncan, whose daughter, Brynn, endured severe injuries, resulting in paralyzation, after an Aug. 18 car accident on the corner of Union and Fir Avenues.
The proposed law, coined “The Brynn Duncan Law,” would require children between the ages of four and eight to sit in a booster seat while buckled up.
The booster seat is intended to lift children to a height which would optimize the function of a seatbelt.
Although buckled in, Brynn’s seatbelt did not provide the support she needed to sustain the impact of the crash, Dixie Duncun said. The bottom strap did not rest on her hips as intended, and the top belt was placed behind Brynn’s back to avoid the belt in her face.
While Brynn was hospitalized in the ICU unit of the Hennepin County Medical Center, Dixie was approached by a doctor requesting Brynn’s story be used to help promote a law requiring the booster seat.
Dixie couldn’t think of a reason not to support it.
“We want to do more to help other families and prevent this,” she said.
Because Dixie had previously recognized the lack of support a normal seat belt provided for Brynn, she had made sure Brynn regularly sat in a booster seat. Accident — From page 1
However, on the day of the accident, a quick shift in plans resulted in the transfer of Brynn to her grandmother’s car, where the booster was not present.
Had it been state law, Dixie said Brynn never would have gone without.
“If it had been law, we would have automatically had the booster with us,” she said.
According to the American Auto Association (AAA), Minnesota is behind the nation when it comes to tough child restraint laws. Forty-three other states have opted to strengthen standards.
Safe Kids Minnesota and AAA Minnesota/Iowa are behind the proposed law and are actively lobbying legislatures to consider new state standards. While no formal arrangements have been made with legislatures, the Duncan family is currently focusing on informing the public and rallying support.
This isn’t the first time the law has been introduced to legislatures, but it is the first time the idea has been presented in conjunction with a personal story.
That is what the Duncans and others hope will help convince lawmakers to approve The Brynn Duncan Law.
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