Today, I came across an article by Parents Magazine and the results of their study on the safest place in America to raise children. I am happy to see that four out of the top 10 safest states are from New England. And the other two states round out number 11 and 12.
I'm even happier, to see that my home state of Connecticut is ranked the #1 safest state. This is due mainly to their booster seat and bike helmet laws. We've got some work to do to improve especially in the way of water safety, but it's great to know that overall, our kids are in safe hands. I like knowing that our lawmakers have our children's safety in their minds. When Connecticut first passed their upgraded child seat laws, I scoffed. Really, what first grader (and above) is going to want to sit in a booster seat? And how will I navigate the car line at school if I have to strap a child into a car seat/booster seat? You know what, it doesn't take any more time. Einey, my first grader, just hit 40 pounds, the minimum state weight to go from a car seat to a booster seat (even though I switched her earlier). To graduate from a booster seat to a car seat, she has to have reached 60 pounds and her seventh birthday (the law is a bit ambiguous on this, but talking to seat inspectors, they all have that in agreement). I don't see her miraculously gaining 20 pounds in the next ten months, so we'll be holding onto the booster seat for a few more years.
How did the rest of the New England States rank? Rhode Island, our neighboring state, comes in at #2. Their main focus is on combating violent crimes involving children. Their weakness is at school-bus crossing zones. The next New England state on the list was Maine coming in at #6. They rank high when it comes to teen drivers, but low with leaving children unattended in vehicles. Massachusetts rounds out the top ten at #8. They have great emergency care set up for children, but allow children as young as four to buckle up without a booster seat. I found this surprising with their proximity to CT which has much stricter laws. Vermont just misses the top ten at #11 and New Hampshire comes in at #12. Overall, New England seems to be a very safe place t olive. To find out where your states ranks and some quick stats, visit Parents.com.
Woohoo, go New England! Pretty good that our little corner of the country ranks so high!
Jane, Pinks & Blues
Posted by: pinks & blues girls | March 21, 2008 at 08:45 PM