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We all want to keep kids safe on the road. A new study from the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics says that using booster seats is a good start.

Kicking Tires reports that the study “looked at differences between child injury rates after a 2005 New York state law required the use of child-safety seats. The law requires children younger than 4 to ride in safety seats and children younger than 7 to use a child restraint system or face a $100 fine for the first offense.” All states require kids to be in child safety seats until the age of three. After that, however, the laws vary, with some states requiring no special restraints for kids older than three.

The results of the study should please parents: after the law went into effect, car-accident related injuries in children ages four to six fell by 18 percent. During the same time, for kids involved in car crashes, booster seat usage for that age group rose from 29 percent to 50 percent.

“Additional research also supports the benefits of boosters,” writes Consumer Reports. “A study by the Journal of Pediatrics from 2009 found that children aged 4 through 8 years old who used booster seats were 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries than children who were just using the vehicle’s seat belt.”

While most states require kids to be in specialized restraints up to age seven, the laws vary. Nevertheless, it’s good practice to have your kids use a safety seat until the car’s regular seatbelts fit them comfortably. Most safety advocates say that’s when they get to be four feet, nine inches tall.

Consumer Reports adds that you shouldn’t “be in a rush to move your child up to the next level of seat. A move up (from rear-facing to forward-facing; a harness to seat-belt booster) generally means a step back in the overall level of safety for your child. Keep your kids in a forward facing harnessed seat as long as the weight limits of that seat allows before moving them to a booster.” It’s also key to make sure that your child safety seats are properly installed; and kids younger than 13 should always ride in the backseat.

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