NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Energy and Commerce Committee Approves Bill to Make Cars Safer for Kids

Washington, DC – The Committee on Energy and Commerce today approved the “Cameron Gulbransen Transportation Safety Act,” legislation that would set simple safety measures in automobiles to decrease the number of preventable non-traffic, non-crash related accidents.

“Tragically, nearly every other day, a young child in this country is killed in a non-traffic automobile incident,” said Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “The bill our Committee passed will help protect these young victims by instituting common-sense safety provisions in the design of cars.”

The bill, H.R. 1216, was authored by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

“This is great day for families across America,” said Schakowsky. “The Cameron Gulbransen Transportation Safety Act will save hundreds of young lives that are needlessly lost each year in non-traffic, non-crash related accidents sometimes by their bereft parents who have backed over them in their own driveways. Too many families have been destroyed by accidents that are entirely preventable. My bill will save children’s lives and decrease injuries by making common sense safety improvements to all vehicles.”

The bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to issue the following regulations to decrease the incidence of child injury and death:

• Ensure power windows automatically reverse direction when they detect an obstruction to prevent children from being trapped, injured or killed:
• Provide drivers with a means of detecting the presence of a person or object behind their vehicle; and
• Provide for the vehicle service brake to be engaged to prevent vehicles from unintentionally rolling away.
  

The legislation would also require the Department of Transportation to establish a child safety information program to collect non-traffic incident data and disseminate information to parents about these hazards and ways to mitigate them.

“This legislation satisfies the concerns of safety advocates, vehicle manufacturers, and families who have been tragically affected by the accidents this legislation targets,” Dingell added. “This is a good bill that will help save lives and I am pleased our Committee has moved swiftly to pass it.”

The measure is named for Cameron Gulbransen, a 2-year old child who died tragically when his father accidentally backed over him in his driveway.

The bill enjoys strong support from consumer advocacy groups such as the Consumers Union. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is the author of companion legislation in the Senate.

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