WHEREAS, Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for children over six months of age; and

WHEREAS, The proper use of child safety seats and safety belts has proven effective in reducing highway fatalities and injuries to children; and

WHEREAS, All fifty states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws requiring the use of child passenger safety protection systems; and

WHEREAS, The International Association of Chiefs of Police has supported activities and programs to increase safety belt and child safety seat usage; and

WHEREAS, Although passenger side air bags have been credited with saving more than 1500 lives, at least 50 children have been killed and many others seriously injured by deploying passenger side air bags, and

WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as several highway safety leaders and organizations urge motorists never to seat infants or small children in the front seat of air bag equipped vehicles, and that the safest place for infants and children is in the rear seat; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 104th annual conference in Orlando, Florida, urges all law enforcement agencies to support efforts to encourage motorists to properly restrain infants and children in the rear seat at all times; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages all law enforcement agencies to vigorously enforce safety belt and child restraint laws and ordinances as part of their overall efforts to ensure the safety of the communities they serve; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the IACP encourages NHTSA to continue to work with the automobile manufacturers and other partners to reduce the possible hazards created by air bags, without compromising the safety benefits of these devices.