FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 15, 2008

Senator Roberts: Senate Passes Child Vehicle Safety Bill;Prevents Nontraffic Accidents

      WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts announced that late last night, the Senate approved H.R. 1216, the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007, a bill to prevent nontraffic deaths in America’s children. Senator Roberts is an original cosponsor of similar legislation in the Senate.

      “I have been working with Kids in 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 have been troubled by these needless tragedies. I believe this bill will help save lives simply by raising awareness of non-traffic accident deaths.”

      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 now goes to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

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On April 9th, 2008 advocates and parents of many of the children killed or injured by power windows met in Washington, D.C. for a reception to thank all of the sponsors and co-sponsors who supported this life saving bill.  Special thanks to all of the Senators and Congressmen who took the time out of their very busy schedules to meet with us. 

In this picture, Britt and Faith Gates meet with Senator Roberts of Kansas. 

 Interviews

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xTIYF1Fdaw The Today Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeNquhcDSgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZUcPJIeti4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZWYbQg3JLg  Inside Edition piece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bh0kTKwsQM