Mon, Sep 27, 2004
Board recommended long ago that the FAA ban children travelling
on parents' lap, agency does not act
We all know the drill.
Before an airliner can take off or land, passengers must stow their
bags, place tray tables and seats in the full upright and locked
position and buckle up. There are some very good reasons for this,
not the least of which is restraint in case of a crash or other
accident. However, these same passengers are allowed to hold
infants or toddlers below age 2 on their laps. Unrestrained. The
NTSB is mad about this, and rightly so.
The five member National Transportation Safety Board voted
unanimously last month to issue a statement that the FAA's lack of
action on earlier recommendations on infants and small chidren
being restrained properly during landings, takeoffs and turbulence
is unacceptable. In fact, the Board has put the requirement to bar
"lap children" on airliners on their "Ten Most Wanted" improvements
for the airline industry.
Apparently, the FAA
agrees, but doesn't want to act. Spokeswoman Alison Duquette told
the Boston Globe, "We want children off laps and into child-safety
seats," but the Administration flatly refuses to issue new rules to
make that happen. Their concern? That families will reject being
forced to buy another airline ticket for the infant or toddler, and
instead will drive. This, says the agency, would put the entire
family in greater risk of an accident.
Duquette also said the FAA is reviewing the recommendation, but
for now all it will do is urge parents to voluntarily buy a ticket
for the infant or toddler and use a child safety restraint approved
for airline use. She also added that some airlines allow parents to
put their children in empty seats in order to use the safety
restraints.
According to FAA estimates, infants and toddlers traveling on
parents' laps represent about one percent of all airline
passengers. In years past, because seat restraints could not
accommodate small childrens, they were allowed to travel on their
parents laps. However, these days all states require children to be
restrained in safety seats when their parents take them with them
on automobile trips. Most of the seat restraints usable on cars are
also certified for use in airplanes.
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