Ford Motor Co. is mounting a campaign to persuade lawmakers in every state to require booster seats for children who are too big for child safety seats but too small to use adult seat belts alone. Washington, California and Arkansas have passed laws requiring booster seats for children age 4 to 8, and about 20 other states are considering them. Booster seats can vary in appearance, but usually look like the seats children use to reach the table at a restaurant. They elevate the child so the seat belt fits properly across the shoulder and lap.
Size is more important than age in determining how long to use a booster.
The federal government recommends that children from 40 to 80 pounds and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall should always use them. All states require car seats for the smallest children, but federal data show that less than 10 percent of children 4 to 8 use booster seats. It includes giving away 1 million booster seats. Ford also was releasing a survey showing that while 88 percent of caregivers have heard of booster seats, only 21 percent use them. Seventy-one percent did not know the proper age at which a child should use a booster seat.