STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee,is
to increase the safety of children riding as passengers in motor
vehicles.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's current child restraint
law permits children between the ages of three and four to be
restrained by seat belts or by child passenger restraint systems
(car seats). Your Committee further finds that the use of seat
belts is an unsafe practice for many children between the ages of
three and four because of their size and physical development.
Your Committee further finds that Hawaii's statute does not
conform to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
standards which recommend that all children under the age of four
ride restrained in car seats.

     The proposed bill requires the use of child passenger
restraint systems for all children below the age of four.

     Testimonies in support of this bill were received from the
Department of Transportation, the Department of Health, the City
and County of Honolulu, the Hawai'i Nurses Association, Mothers
Against Drunk Driving, the Hawaii Insurers Council, and the Keiki
Injury Prevention Coalition.

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1
and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Transportation,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair