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.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.faa.gov