+ The two most widely used booster seats are a “high back” or a “backless” booster seat. What is the best kind of booster seat to buy? To find a technician near you call the Car Safe Line at 1-800-CAR-SAFE (1-80) at the MA Department of Public Health or visit /childsafetyseats.

These checkpoints are free but usually require an appointment. + A certified Child Passenger Safety technician can check your child safety seat or booster seat for safety and assure proper fit. + Read your vehicle’s owner manual and the booster seat installation manual for instructions. + Booster seats are generally easy to use. How do I put my child’s booster seat into my vehicle? + If your child’s ears are above the back of the child’s safety seat and/or their shoulders are above the top strap slots they are ready to move from a child safety seat into a booster seat. + Your forward facing child safety seat will have a sticker telling you its weight limit. + Children need to move from a child safety seat to a booster seat when they reach the weight limit on their forward facing child safety seat. How do I know when my child needs to move from a car seat to a booster seat? + The driver can be stopped by the police and fined $25.00 What is the fine if my child is not riding in a booster seat? + The law will go into effect on July 10, 2008.

+ The new law also states that children ages 8-12 are required to wear a safety belt while traveling in a motor vehicle.

+ The previous law only required children under age 5 years of age and under 40 pounds to ride in a child safety seat. + It says that “no child under the age of eight and measuring less than fifty-seven inches shall ride as a passenger in a motor vehicle on any way unless such child is properly fastened and secured, according to the manufacturers’ instructions, by a child passenger restraint”. Booster seats can reduce those injury rates by 58% over seat belt use for that age group. + Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of children between the ages of 4-8. It positions the lap belt on the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest, providing the greatest amount of protection. + A booster seat helps your child fit correctly in you vehicle’s safety belt. This means that for children who have grown out of their forward facing child safety seat, the next step is the booster seat. + Beginning Ja child passenger restraint is required by law for children 5-7 years of age or until t hey reach 4’9” in height in the state of Massachusetts.