In what might be a lame-duck effort on the part of the Clinton-Gore administration, U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater has announced a draft child restraint systems safety plan and invited public comment on it. The Child Restraint Systems Safety Plan concocted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration outlines more than 30 new or ongoing agency activities to improve motor vehicle safety for children from infancy through age 10. One not covered in the plan is the continuing prohibition against granting driving privileges to 10 year olds.

The plan focuses on two major strategies: encouraging the correct use of safety seats that afford optimal protection and providing useful consumer information on child passenger safety. It proposes that NHTSA add safety seats to vehicles that are crash tested through its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP); develop a 10-year-old child dummy to better evaluate the performance of booster seats designed for larger children and review test procedures for NHTSA’s standard on child safety seats. It also suggests that NHTSA publish a "best practices" guide for organizations planning to establish safety seat fitting stations and provide additional consumer information on the features and proper use of safety seats.

"It is imperative that we at NHTSA take every possible step to advance the cause of child passenger safety through innovative program development," said Dr. Sue Bailey, the agency’s administrator.

In announcing The Child Restraint Systems Safety Plan, Slater reminded all parents and caregivers to transport young children in the back seat of a motor vehicle and be sure they are properly restrained for every trip. In addition, all children who weigh 40 to 80 pounds should use booster seats in combination with adult lap-shoulder belts. The agency is seeking comments on the draft plan through December 22, 2000. The plan will be on the Internet at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps.