Come Friday, all children under the age of 8 are required to ride in a car or booster seat.
The change in the Georgia child-restraint law was signed into law May 9 by Gov. Nathan Deal.
“Many of the injuries from car crashes that keep children from enjoying fulfilling, productive lives can be avoided by proper use of a car seat or booster seat,” said Lisa Dawson, director of the Office of Injury Prevention in the Georgia Division of Public Health, Department of Community Health.
Only children who are over 4 feet 9 inches tall or have a written statement from a doctor for a medical condition are exempt.
Dawson said that all children under age 8 should ride in the back seat, in a car seat or booster seat appropriate for their size and used according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Drivers who fail to strap kids into a booster seat will face a $50 fine plus one point against their license for the first offense, and a $100 fine plus two points for a second offense.
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