Child safety is important around the clock, especially when youngsters are riding in cars. This is why safety advocates, government agencies and health professionals place such a great deal of emphasis on the importance of using child car seats and booster seats. There are no federal guidelines on the use of such devices, but most states have regulations in place that require kids to use booster seats until they are a certain age, or reach a specific height and weight.

While all states require babies to be places in car seats, not everyone has a law regarding the use of booster seats. A recent report by researchers from the Boston Children's Hospital shows that these states have higher fatality rates among kids than those with stricter, longer-lasting child car seat laws. The study investigators looked at nearly 10,000 cases over a 10-year period and found that states with booster seat laws for kids between 4 and 6 had a 20 percent lower fatality rate among children than states without booster laws. This percentage increased to 35 percent for states with laws that pertain to kids up to age 7.

"Based on our findings, booster seat use for children under the age of 8 or 4 feet 9 inches really should go beyond casual suggestion," said lead author Dr. Rebekah Mannix of Boston Children's Division of Emergency Medicine. "It's clear that these laws save lives and we recommend all states adopt them."

In addition to ensuring kids are properly secured in a vehicle, parents should also choose a ride that is safe and reliable, which can help protect youngsters and other passengers in the event of an accident. There are many options available at New Jersey State Auto Auction, which has more than four football fields worth of certified used models to choose from.