• Not every parent is aware of the danger small children face when they use car safety belts designed for adults, but as many as 50 percent of children ages 4 to 7 are not properly protected when riding in a car. Michigan is one of several states that has passed a law requiring children under a certain age, weight or height to ride in booster seats that elevate them to the correct height so that the seat belt protects them.
  
  

Child Passenger Safety Law

• Michigan's Child Passenger Safety Law requires that children under eight or shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches ride in a booster seat. They must be properly buckled into this seat with both a lap and shoulder belt; the state specifies that a lap belt alone is not acceptable.
  
  For car seats with a headrest, the state recommends using a no-back booster seat. For car seats without a headrest, the state recommends a high-back booster seat.
  
  

How It Compares

• Other states have passed similar laws, but each state sets its own specifications for the age and height requirements. Kentucky, for example, only requires booster seats for children younger than seven or shorter than 4 feet, 2 inches.
  
  However, Michigan's laws may be part of a developing standard. Massachusetts's law on child safety booster seats sets identical requirements, and both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics make the same recommendations that children under eight or shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches ride in booster seats.
  
  

Younger Children

• Michigan law on booster seats details further requirements for children under four years old. Children under four must ride in a car seat, in the rear seat of the car. If all rear seats are occupied by children under four, or if the car does not have a rear seat, then the child may ride in front, but the front side airbag must be turned off.
  
  Infants must ride in rear-facing seats until they are at least one year old and 20 pounds.