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My law firm often gets questions from people who aren't sure if their child should be using a car seat, booster seat, or a seat belt. I can't stress enough how important it is to know the answer to this question – PennDOT reported that safety seats, when properly installed, reduce the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in the event of a car accident.

Though each state has different laws, 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 backseat until they are 13.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a useful tool for helping you assess whether or not your child should be in a booster seat or a seat belt. Answer the following questions:

• Can your child sit all the way against the back of the automobile's seat?
• Do their knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat?
• Does the safety belt cross their shoulder between the neck and the arm?
• Is the lap belt low, touching the thighs?
• Can they stay seated like this for the whole trip?
  

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then your child should still be in a booster seat.

In addition, my law firm is putting together a comprehensive list of state-by-state car seat and booster seat laws, but until that goes up, here are Pennsylvania's requirements:

• Infants through children age 7 have to be properly secured in an appropriate safety seat.
• Children ages 8 to 17 must be restrained in a safety belt.
• The driver must secure both the child safety seat and the child properly.
• Loaner programs are required for families in need.
• Hospitals and doctors must educate parents of newborns about the option of loaner or rental seats.