New law on booster seats boosts car safety

Ohio recently passed a law requiring 4- to 7-year-old children who are less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall to be in a booster seat when riding in a car. However, the law won't take effect until October and, for the first six months, only warnings will be given to violators.

That means you can't get a ticket for not having your child in a booster seat for a year. But that's no reason to wait.

According to the Boost Ohio Kids Coalition, a partnership of AAA clubs, public health agencies, private businesses and public safety advocacy groups that lobbied for the law, more than 400 4-to-8-year-olds are killed in traffic crashes every year and roughly 70,000 more are injured. Research by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia indicated booster seats reduce the risk of serious injury to children ages 4 to 7 by 59 percent, compared to just using a seat belt.

Booster seats position children so that seat belts fit properly on children. An improperly fitted belt can cause injuries to a child's internal organs in the event of a crash.

The coalition says lap belts should fit low and snug on the upper thighs and shoulder belts should rest over the shoulder and across the chest. According to the group, research shows that a good fit, without the use of a booster seat, comes when a child reaches 8 years old or a height of 4-foot-9 inches.

It seems that most parents have gotten the message about car seats for younger children, but booster seats don't seem to be as well understood or widely used. Passing the law is an important step, but there's no need to wait on enforcement to comply.

Doing it now will get parents and children used to the process so that, hopefully, officers won't have to write many tickets at all.