The price of being stopped is not cheap either, with fines starting at $82 a $25 booster seat is looking a real bargain - not to mention a whole lot safer than having your children rolling around loose in the back of the car.

Children above 8, although not legally required to use a booster seat are still being targetted by officials who are reccomending and child under 4’ 9” tall still use a Booster Seat (though parent’s will not get a ticket if stopped and the child isn’t using a booster if over 8 years old).

The statistics really do cause you to question any parent not using a booster seat though. According to Col. James Wofinbarger, chief of the Colorado State Patrol "Children ages 4 to 7 who use booster seats are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared to children who are restrained only by seat belts. Without a booster, the lap belt and shoulder strap don't work properly”.

Col. James Wofinbarger went on to say "A booster seat is a safer option because it lifts the child up so that the lap belt rests across hip bones to protect internal organs, and it positions the shoulder strap so it rests across the collarbone instead of on the neck or falling off the shoulder,"

Laura McGuire-Kent is a child passenger safety specialist with Kohl's Cares Car Safety Program. She said seat belts are generally made for adult passengers, so children need an extra safety boost.

McGuire-Kent also said that if parents make a positive habit of using booster seats, their children will be more likely to use them even without being asked. Royal Wedding Mug

We’ve put together what we think is one of the Internets most comprehensive state by state lists of booster seat laws, the age/height/weight limits for a child to be in a booster seat, the penalty and the year the law came into force.

As you can see, not only do the requirements for your child differ by quite a bit from State to State, the penalties do as well - is this a sign of how little importance some States place on protecting children when traveling in cars?

Auto insurance companies such as AAA feel the states have an obligation to enforce child safety and have regulations on auto insurance where families are concerned. Use of a booster seat clearly has the statistics to back it that children are safer in an automobile when restrained with a seat belt while in a booster seat.

According to Highway Safety Office reports enforcement of the booster seat law have a 58% reduction in injury for children that are involved in a automobile accident.
Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death in children 1-8 yrs old. Booster Seat usage has increased with statistics steadily showing that the injury rate involving children dramatically decreases. Without the use of a booster seat children involved in a road traffic accident can suffer from injuries such as spinal injury, head injury or even slip form the belt and fly from the car. Highway Patrol feel that proper use of the restraint can reduce a fatality rate of nearly 71%.

The majority of the states agree an average weight and height of between 60 and 80 pounds must continue to be restrained with a booster seat by law or be punishable by fine.

Children using booster seats are four times less likely to suffer head, spinal cord, and abdominal injuries in a crash. Protect children from serious injury and save lives with use of a booster seat.

As with all our information we endeavor to ensure it is as accurate and up to date as possible. Sometimes laws change which we may not be aware of, if you’re unsure about any of the data above please check with your local police department.

If you know any of the data above to be incorrect, or you can provide information on the handful of states we have been unable to find information on, please get in touch.

Of States without any laws (Arizona, Florida and South Dakota) Arizona is at least making some sort of move to rectify the situation. In the early part of 2009 a bill (HB2593) was introduced into the legislature that would require any child under 9 years old to be allowed to travel in a car only if seated on a Booster Seat.

At the time of writing, HB2593 was last updated on the 2nd Oct 2009. IT can be seen here.

Sadly this bill hasn’t yet made it out of committee stage. There is a hope it will be re-introduced early in 2010 when regular sessions begin again.

The good news is that 50 states do have laws that require seats for children when transported in a motor vehicle. That is good news until you realise each state has a slightly different take on what constitutes a legal requirement.

A good example of this is what would happen if you and your son who’s just turned 6 were traveling from New Hampshire into Maine. Being 6 years old in New Hampshire means you no longer have to sit in a booster seat, however as you drive over the border (without the booster seat) into Maine you’ll be breaking the law - over there you’ll need one into your child's seventh year.

Have you had any strange cross border related Booster Seat issues? Know of an impending change of the law in those last remaining ‘lawless’ states? Let us know, leave a comment below.

To mark the new laws The Children's Museum of Cleveland gave away 100 free Booster Seats to under 8's who were less than 4' 9" and weighted less than 40lbs. If the child met that criteria, and they'd paid to get into the museum they were legible for the free booster seat.

The new laws coming into effect on Wednesday stipulate and child between the ages of 4 and 7 years old and weight 40lbs or more and are under 4' 9" tall must use a booster seat and seat belt whenever they ride in a car.

From wednesday the police will only be issuing warnings. From April 7 2010 anyone caught with a child traveling in a car without a booster seat but who meets the criteria above will be liable for a fine of between $25 and $75.

Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Cathy Collins-Taylor says “The six-month warning period is a critical time for education regarding this new law and we are encouraging all of our safety partners to help educate the public about the law, where to purchase a booster seat and what to do if you are unsure.”

Along with Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, State Farm are offering free child safety and booster seat checks by certified car seat technicians at Kaiser Waipio Clinic, 94-1480 Moaniani St., Waipahu (across from CostCo).

According to Hawaii law children under 4 years must ride in a child safety seat while riding in a motor vehicle. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 years of age must be restrained in a booster seat. Child Safety Day will help educate parents and caregivers on best practices for child safety.

along with the child safety and booster seat inspections, parents and young children can participate in other fun activities and learn more about safety. Children are invited to visit the ambulance on display with first aid information by American Medical Response. ThinkFirst Hawaii will conduct bike helmet fittings with free helmet giveaways, while supply lasts.

We’d love to come along, it really does sound like fun (and a trip to Hawaii sounds fab!) but the air fair is a touch too much for us.

If you do go please let us know how it went.

Kentucky is one of 12 states without a booster seat law.

Kentucky Youth Advocates head Terry Brooks says 55 children from 4 to 7 years old died in traffic accidents between 2000 and 2005. He said mandating booster seats would save lives.

Democratic State Rep. Tom Burch of Louisville has introduced a bill that would require booster seats for children under 8 who are between 40 and 57 inches tall .

The Transportation Department said Wednesday it was revamping a consumer ratings system for child safety seats to help parents and caregivers make the best choice for their kids.

The new approach will use a five-star rating system, based on the seats' ability to secure a child and the ease with which the seats are installed. It will also consider the seats' labeling and instruction manuals.

"We believe that the new star system will help simplify one of parents' most important decisions: choosing the best safety seat that will protect their children," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said during a news conference at an Arlington, Va., fire station.

Many parents can attest to the frequent frustration found in securing a car seat or making sure their child is strapped in. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said seven in 10 child safety seats are either the wrong size or misused, reducing their ability to protect kids in a crash.

"If one of these things is difficult to use, even if someone buys one, they may not be willing to switch them among cars ... because they remember what a pain they were to install," said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "If we get seats that are easier to install, then it's more likely that people will use them."

When used properly, the seats are very effective. NHTSA estimates that child restraint systems reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars and by nearly 60 percent for infants and toddlers in sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans.

Transportation officials stressed that the new ratings system does not assess how effective a seat is in protecting a child in a crash. All child seats must comply with federal safety standards to protect children in a car accident.

The government recommends car seats for children up to 40 pounds and booster seats for children over 40 pounds until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. All children should ride in the back seat until age 13.

The new system, which assigns an overall rating of up to five stars, replaces an older ratings program which used letter grades. The five-star rating system is also used in NHTSA's consumer crash test program for new cars and trucks.

Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, said the changes will be an improvement because under the old system the vast majority received an "A" rating. "The tests were too darn easy and it flew in the face of what parents knew," she said.

Child seat ratings can be found on NHTSA's Web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

According to a survey released by AAA to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Tennessee's first-in-the-nation child safety seat law, more than half of all parents (54 percent) look to their state law for guidance on how to restrain their children. While a strong majority (93 percent) of parents surveyed said they are aware of their state's child restraint laws and most (86 percent) feel that these laws should be consistent across the country, less than half (39 percent) can accurately identify the age at which their state allows a child to ride in an automobile with only a lap and shoulder belt.

"These results send a clear and powerful message to state legislators across the country," said Jack Peet, manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan. "Parents look to the law for guidance about when and how their children should be restrained but, in many cases, the laws are letting them down."

According to Peet, state laws vary greatly throughout the U.S. and, although every state has a provision for children under age four, just 18 states and the District of Columbia require children up to the age of 8 or older to be restrained in a booster seat.

Proper booster seat use is important, because it is not safe for children to transition directly from the child safety seat to adult lap and shoulder belts, which are designed for adults.

"Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children and booster seats save lives when properly used in conjunction with lap and shoulder belts," said Peet. "Unfortunately, booster seat usage averages only 37 percent nationwide. Many children are put at risk when they are improperly restrained by a seat belt intended for an adult or older child and the booster seat phase is skipped."

AAA clubs continue to work to enact comprehensive child passenger safety laws protecting children up to the age of 8 in every state. For more information on state child passenger restraint laws, visit http://www.aaa.com/publicaffairs.

AAA Michigan

The new Child Restraint Law states that any child up to the age of 7, or under 65 pounds in weight must be properly secured in a child safety seat appropriate for their size and weight, whether that is an infant seat, convertible or booster seat. And those age 8 or 66 pounds through age 15 are required to use properly secured seat belts.

This change increases the age a child uses a child safety seat from the previous legal requirement of 6 years old to 7 and increases the previous weight threshold from 60 to 65 pounds. This change has come about to bring the state inline with the federal guidelines on transporting children using child safety seats.

These new laws still fall way short of those here in the UK. Research by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has shown the risk of injury is reduced by 59 percent for children aged between 4 and 7 using booster seats.

The injuries sustained by children from badly positioned seat belts in a car crash are caused by the seat belt to falling across the child’s abdomen (rather than lap) and across the neck (rather than shoulder). If the seat belt is fitting the body as it was designed to it will offer far greater protection to the user in the event of an accident.

Sadly across the US Booster Seats are only used for around 10 to 20 percent of the children in the age range that are supposed to be using them.

The new law in Delaware imposes a $25 fine for each offence, the same as for any adult occupant failing to use a seat belt while a vehicle is in motion.

For further information please see the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
www.ohs.delaware.gov

The Massachusetts Senate has approved a bill that would require more children to use booster seats, which supporters say would protect children better during car accidents.

The law now requires children under age 6, or weighing less than 40 pounds, to use such seats. The bill, sponsored by Senator Steven Baddour of Methuen, would require children up to age 8 or 57 inches tall to use the seats.

Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws similar to today's bill, according to a Baddour aide.

Not everyone's a fan. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts is concerned that the bill could lead to police discrimination by allowing officers more opportunities to stop motorists.

The bill, approved 35-0, now heads to the state House.