Promotional materials were created recently at the Florida Occupant Protection Resource Center (OPRC), housed at the UFTI T2 Center, to help Child Passenger Safety (CPS) advocates and state enforcement inform Florida citizens of an updated Florida statute effecting children.

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 225 in June, passing revisions to Florida Statute 316.613 requiring 4- and 5-year-olds to be in a child restraint (with certain exceptions) effective January 1, 2015. Formerly, children only through age 3 had to be properly restrained. The Florida OPRC created tip cards with information about the law update, as well as pointers for choosing and installing car seats, available to print from the OPRC website’s Print-Ready Materials section. Car seat fitting stations are available throughout Florida to assist with proper installation, see this list of fitting stations in Florida.

A Florida bill was also signed, effective July 1, 2014, for a permanent sales tax exemption for child restraint systems and booster seats for use in motor vehicles plus a list of other items, which can be found on the Governor’s website.

The OPRC promotes safety in vehicles, namely child restraint, seat belts, and air bags, to help reduce injuries and fatalities on Florida’s roadways. The OPRC is funded by a grant to the University of Florida Transportation Institute from the Florida Department of Transportation. Promotional materials, car seats, scholarships for CPS certification, local fitting stations, and more are available to assist educate and enforce CPS laws and national recommendations here in Florida. For more information on the center, visit their website at http://floridaoprc.ce.ufl.edu/.