Booster Seat Scofflaws Face Hefty Fine

Across Texas, police officers will start enforcing the state's new booster seat law Tuesday.

Under the new law, all children younger than 8-year-old, unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches, must ride in a safety or booster seat.

Drivers caught breaking the lawy can be fined up to $250 plus court costs. The money would be used to buy booster seats for low-income families.

Advocacy group Safe Kids USA said child safety seats reduce the risk of injury by 50 percent for children ages 4 to 7 years old.

State Farm Insurance said 44 other states already have similar laws on the books.

"We have seen many claims come in where kids have been involved in accidents and had injuries that could have been prevented with a booster seat," said Evelyn Nishino, State Farm spokeswoman.

The law has been in effect since September of last year, but Tuesday is the day officers plan to start handing out tickets instead of warnings.

NBC DFW's Kevin Cokely contributed to this report.

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