Press Releases
Senator Roberts Receives Kids And Cars Congressional Award
New Law Makes Children Safer In and Around Cars
Apr 09 2008
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) was honored today for his efforts to better protect children from tragic car accidents that can occur even when a vehicle is not in traffic.
“Unfortunately, we’ve heard the stories all too often,” Roberts said. “Accidents happen in driveways and garages despite the best efforts of parents and other family members to keep their children out of harm’s way.”
The Kansas-based Zoie Foundation presented Roberts with the Kids and Cars Congressional award for his support of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, which helps prevent nontraffic deaths among America’s children. Senator Roberts was an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate.
“I have been working with Kids and Cars and the Zoie Foundation, two Kansas organizations providing real grassroots leadership on the issue of safety in passenger vehicles,” Senator Roberts said. “From Johnson County to Harper County, I have heard from parents who’s lives have been shattered by these needless tragedies. I believe this new law will help save lives simply by raising awareness of non-traffic accident deaths. I am pleased the Congress passed and the president signed this legislation into law.”
The bill was named after 2-year-old Cameron, who was killed when he was inadvertently backed over by a sport utility vehicle where it was impossible to see him.
The legislation directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations for light motor vehicles to require:
• Automatic reversal of direction by power windows and panels when they detect an obstruction;
• A rearward visibility performance standard to prevent backing incidents; and,
• Automatic transmissions to have an anti-rollaway system that requires the service brake to be depressed before the transmission can be shifted out of park..
The Secretary of Transportation also must establish a database of injuries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events involving light motor vehicles and supplement a consumer information program on child safety or create a new program with information about hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash incident situations.
The bill was signed into law by the president on February 28.
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“Unfortunately, we’ve heard the stories all too often,” Roberts said. “Accidents happen in driveways and garages despite the best efforts of parents and other family members to keep their children out of harm’s way.”
The Kansas-based Zoie Foundation presented Roberts with the Kids and Cars Congressional award for his support of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, which helps prevent nontraffic deaths among America’s children. Senator Roberts was an original cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate.
“I have been working with Kids and Cars and the Zoie Foundation, two Kansas organizations providing real grassroots leadership on the issue of safety in passenger vehicles,” Senator Roberts said. “From Johnson County to Harper County, I have heard from parents who’s lives have been shattered by these needless tragedies. I believe this new law will help save lives simply by raising awareness of non-traffic accident deaths. I am pleased the Congress passed and the president signed this legislation into law.”
The bill was named after 2-year-old Cameron, who was killed when he was inadvertently backed over by a sport utility vehicle where it was impossible to see him.
The legislation directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations for light motor vehicles to require:
• Automatic reversal of direction by power windows and panels when they detect an obstruction;
• A rearward visibility performance standard to prevent backing incidents; and,
• Automatic transmissions to have an anti-rollaway system that requires the service brake to be depressed before the transmission can be shifted out of park..
The Secretary of Transportation also must establish a database of injuries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events involving light motor vehicles and supplement a consumer information program on child safety or create a new program with information about hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash incident situations.
The bill was signed into law by the president on February 28.
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