Child Passenger Safety Awareness Today, more parents and caregivers than ever before secure their kids in child safety seats. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 1996 to 1998, child safety seat use increased from 85 percent to 97 percent for infants less than one year old, and from 60 percent to 91 percent for toddlers, ages one to four. That's one reason child fatalities have dropped 16 percent since 1996. But amid this good news is an alarming fact: too many parents still don't use the full range of child safety seats, especially booster seats. Safety experts strongly recommend that children should not be moved into regular seat belts until they are at least four feet, nine inches (4' 9") tall, weigh about 80 pounds, and are approximately eight years old. And DC law now requires booster seats for children up to age 8. Yet, booster seat use for children ages four to eight is still less than 10 percent nationally. As part of Buckle Up America, the Metropolitan Police Department encourages all parents and caregivers to know about and follow the law, to acquire and use age-appropriate child safety restraints, to have their child safety seats inspected, and to follow the four essential steps to protecting children in motor vehicles. The four steps to protect your children as they grow older are listed in the the steps below. Remember to have safety seats inspected on a regular basis. Seat belts can seriously injure or kill small children who are not properly placed in child safety seats. Age Proper Car Safety Birth to 1 year (approx. 20 lbs.) Rear-facing child seat 1 - 4 years (over 20 lbs. - 40 lbs.) Forward-facing child seat Younger children 40 lbs. - 80 lbs. & 4' 9" Belt-positioning booster seat Older children 40 lbs. - 80 lbs. & 4' 9" Seat belt for older children large enough for correct fit  Protect your children by following each step as they grow older. And remember to have their safety seats inspected on a regular basis. Seat belts can seriously injure or kill small children who are not properly placed in child safety seats. Car Seat Fitting Stations So buckle up DC—every child, every time. It's the law in the District of Columbia, and it's just good safety sense. Helpful Links Child Restraint Law in DC DC Car Seat Fitting Stations NHTSA Fitting Stations National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Safe Kids Campaign Caregivers Guidebook to Protecting Children in Motor Vehicles* Prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration