12 Most Dangerous States for Young Auto Passengers

The following states do not have provisions requiring the use of booster seats (or other appropriate restraint devices) for young children who cannot not be adequately protected with adult seat belt systems:

Alaska
Utah
Arizona
South Dakota
Minnesota
Texas
Michigan
Ohio
Kentucky
Mississippi
Florida
Massachusetts


www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Here is some child restraint law information, by state. I was saddened to see that most of the links at www.boosterseat.gov were dead links. Let's hope they update that website sometime in the near future.

This seems to be the best government link I could find, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Booster seats are used in the back seats, by children about age 4 to at least age 8, unless 4’9” tall.

Safety belts are not designed for children. Beginning at around age 4, many children are too large for toddler seats but too small for adult safety belts. A booster seat raises your child up so that the safety belt fits right – and can better protect your child. The shoulder belt should cross the child’s chest and rest snugly on the shoulder, and the lap belt should rest low across the pelvis or hip area – never across the stomach area. (NHTSA)

For more information parents can visit the NHTSA link or call 1-888-327-4236. Some communities offer free classes on how to properly install car seats and some programs even give a free seat after the class. Consumer Reports have some comparative reports on a limited number of models by safety and convenience features. One important tip is to never buy a second hand car or booster seat. Car seats that have been in a crash are not effective. Also older models may have been recalled. Recalls on car seats are a frequent occurrence, so it is best to buy a new seat and register it so that you can be informed if there are any problems.