II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2024

To reduce the incidence of motor vehicle-related child injuries and deaths 

occurring inside or outside of motor vehicles, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 26, 2004

Mr. DEWINE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL

To reduce the incidence of motor vehicle-related child injuries 

and deaths occurring inside or outside of motor vehicles, 

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Kids, Safe Cars 

5 Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INCORPORATION OF CHILD DUMMIES IN SAFETY 

7 TESTS. 

8 (a) RULEMAKING REQUIRED.—Not later than 2 

9 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad10 ministrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
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1 ministration shall conduct a rulemaking to increase utili2 zation of child dummies, including Hybrid-III child dum3 mies, in motor vehicle safety tests, including crash tests, 

4 conducted by the Administration. 

5 (b) CRITERIA.—In conducting the rulemaking under 

6 subsection (a), the Administrator shall select motor vehicle 

7 safety tests in which the inclusion of child dummies will 

8 lead to— 

9 (1) increased understanding of crash dynamics 

10 with respect to children; and 

11 (2) measurably improved child safety. 

12 (c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

13 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transpor14 tation shall publish a report regarding the implementation 

15 of this section. 

16 SEC. 3. CHILD SAFETY IN ROLLOVER CRASHES. 

17 (a) CONSUMER INFORMATION PROGRAM.—Not later 

18 than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

19 the Secretary of Transportation shall initiate and complete 

20 a consumer information program relating to child safety 

21 in rollover crashes. The Secretary shall make information 

22 related to the program available to the public following 

23 completion of the program. 

24 (b) CHILD DUMMY DEVELOPMENT.— 
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 years after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis3 trator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad4 ministration shall develop a biofidelic child crast test 

5 dummy capable of measuring injury forces in a sim6 ulated rollover crash. 

7 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

9 shall submit to Congress a report on progress re10 lated to such development. 

11 SEC. 4. REPORT ON ENHANCED VEHICLE SAFETY TECH12 NOLOGIES. 

13 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact14 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 

15 submit to Congress a report that describes, evaluates, and 

16 determines the relative effectiveness of— 

17 (1) devices and technologies designed to reduce 

18 the incidence of injuries and deaths to children in19 volved outside of motor vehicles in nontraffic, 

20 noncrash motor vehicle accidents, including acci21 dents in which motor vehicles are backed over chil22 dren; 

23 (2) currently available and emerging tech24 nologies, including auto-reverse functions and child25 safe window switches, that are designed to prevent 
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1 and reduce the number of injuries and deaths to 

2 children left unattended inside parked motor vehi3 cles, including injuries and deaths that result from 

4 hyperthermia or are related to power windows or 

5 power sunroofs; and 

6 (3) currently available and emerging tech7 nologies that are designed to improve the perform8 ance of safety belts with respect to the safety of oc9 cupants aged between 4 and 8 years old. 

10 SEC. 5. COMPLETION OF RULEMAKING REGARDING POWER 

11 WINDOWS. 

12 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact13 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall— 

14 (1) complete the rulemaking initiated by the 

15 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

16 that is ongoing on the date of the enactment of this 

17 Act and relates to a requirement that window 

18 switches be designed to reduce the accidental closing 

19 by children of power windows; and 

20 (2) issue regulations to take effect not later 

21 than January 1, 2006, requiring that window 

22 switches or related technologies be designed to pre23 vent the accidental closing by children of power win24 dows. 
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1 SEC. 6. DATABASE ON INJURIES AND DEATHS IN NON2 TRAFFIC, NONCRASH EVENTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 

4 shall establish a new database of, and collect data regard5 ing, injuries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events in6 volving motor vehicles. The database shall include infor7 mation regarding— 

8 (1) the number, types, and proximate causes of 

9 injuries and deaths resulting from such events; 

10 (2) the characteristics of motor vehicles in11 volved in such events; 

12 (3) the characteristics of the motor vehicle op13 erators and victims involved in such events; and 

14 (4) the presence or absence in motor vehicles 

15 involved in such events of advanced technologies de16 signed to prevent such injuries and deaths. 

17 (b) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make the 

18 database available to the public.

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