BOSTON—Massachusetts parents will have to keep kids in car seats or booster seats until they are 8 years old -- or tall enough for adult seat belts -- under a new law.
Gov. Deval Patrick signed the legislation on Friday.
A spokeswoman for the governor says it's a common-sense law that will protect children.
Children younger than 8 can legally use adult restraints if they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
The old law required that kids up to age 5 and 40 pounds be restrained -- most commonly with a car seat or booster seat -- and that children from age 5 through 12 be held with a seat belt.
But kids at the younger edge of that range often are so short that a seat belt runs across their abdomens or chest instead of their hips. That can lead to serious injuries in an accident.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
