Pennsylvania drivers will need to follow new seat belt regulations for child passengers once a new state law goes into effect Feb. 21.

Under current laws, all children under the age of 4 must be secured in a motor vehicle in an approved child passenger safety seat. But in the next few weeks, these regulations will become stricter.

The new law, signed by former Gov. Mark Schweiker in December, requires children under 8 years of age to ride in a child restraint seat, and anyone under 18 to wear a safety belt while riding anywhere in the vehicle. Drivers and passengers of any age are required to wear safety belts in the front seats.

The maximum fine for not securing children under 8 years old is $100.

Previously, only children under 4 years old were required to be in a restraint seat, and only front-seat passengers were required to use safety belts.

In Pennsylvania, more than 90 percent of 4- to 8-year-old children who were seriously injured in car accidents were not in booster seats, according to a study conducted by Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS).

PCPS is a comprehensive research collaboration between State Farm Insurance, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

These injuries are the result of children not fitting properly in seat belts, said Angela Osterhuber, Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project director.

"Without booster seats, the seat belts restrain children in the wrong areas," she said. "If they don't fit correctly, an accident can result in further injury."

Parents should make sure the waist belt sits across the child's hips, not stomach, and the shoulder strap should be in the center of the child's chest , Osterhuber said.

The PCPS study found that booster seats help ensure properly fitting safety belts by raising children higher up in their seats.

Fifteen other states have implemented a similar law, and 17 states are currently working on legislation, said Suzanne Hill, PCPS spokeswoman.

Though the booster seat law only pertains to children under 8, Hill said children under 4-feet-9 inches tall should remain in booster seats, regardless of age. She also said children under 13 are safer in rear seats of a vehicle.

Hill said this law has not had much opposition from parents, but said many think it could be an inconvenience.

"A lot of parents think booster seats are bulky and awkward. But really they are lighter and easier than in the past," Hill said.

"Seats are not expensive and generally run around $17."

Corporal David Toohey, a certified child passenger safety technician for the Pennsylvania State Police, said police will most likely enforce the new law as a result of another traffic stop or observation.

If a driver disobeys the new booster seat law, he or she is subject to a secondary offense. Simply put, there must be another violation prompting an officer to pull over the vehicle, Toohey said.

But if an officer sees a driver who fails to put a child under four in a proper restraint seat, he or she is subject to a primary violation -- the same type of offense as speeding or running a red light, Toohey said.

"The good of this law is immeasurable. How can you measure a child's life?" he said.

"This practice creates a better condition for a child to survive."