MINNEAPOLIS, June 24, 2009 - Now is a great time to educate families about the state’s new booster seat law, which goes into effect July 1.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children in Minnesota and currently 70 percent of Minnesota children do not use boosters.

Under the booster law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall — whichever comes first. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.

The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety has free educational materials you can hand out to patients.

The Minnesota Medical Association advocated for the booster seat law, which passed this year.