Enforcement of Ohio's new booster-seat law begins today

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerRonee Armstrong, 6, gets an adjustment to her booster seat by Thomas Vilt, Child Passenger Safety Coordinator at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, in July 2009. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The grace period is over

Today, the rubber meets the road

As of this morning, police can ticket you if you have child passengers -- from 4 to 8 years old -- who are not in booster seats and wearing seat belts

The new rule expands Ohio's existing car-seat and seat-belt laws

It's not just parents who can be fined -- any adult driving with young children must make sure the kids are in booster or car seats

The Ohio law went into effect in October. But only warnings could be issued for the first six months. That six months was up at midnight

Now you can be fined $25 to $75, plus court costs, for a first offense

Who exactly is covered by the law?

Children from 4 to 8 who weigh more than 40 pounds and are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall. Remember, they have to wear seat belts, too. They can still use a car seat, rather than a booster, at the older age, if the seat has been approved for the child's weight

Younger children must be in car seats under Ohio law, and older children and adults in seat belts

Why is Ohio requiring booster seats?

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 4 to 8 in Ohio, according to AAA. Eighty-nine were killed and more than 21,000 injured in auto accidents between 2002 and 2007 in Ohio alone, the association says

Their chances of being harmed in an accident dropped by 59 percent if they were in booster seats and seat belts, according to one study

"It's absolutely the right thing to do because children in this age group are at too great of risk if they're simply wearing an adult safety belt," said AAA spokesman Brian Newbacher

Using seat belts alone isn't safe for young children. The lap belts fall against children's stomachs and can injure vital organs when small bodies are hurled forward in a crash. And children often push aside shoulder belts because they cut across their necks

"Even though it's a secondary law, it will have an impact because parents do look to laws for guidance," Newbacher said

What that means is officers can't stop drivers for booster-seat offenses alone. If they pull a driver over for another offense, though, they can ticket him or her for not using the child restraints

Keeping kids safe is the reason a number of organizations -- including AAA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, children's hospitals and public-safety groups -- pushed for the law for years

If you're confused about the law or have any question about child safety seats, go to the Web site for Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital's Injury Prevention Center. Need to know more about children's safety ?

You also can get answers by calling Rainbow's Car Seat and Safety Store Hotline at 216-844-2277