I remember how I felt when I heard that I wouldn’t just have to buy one car seat, but several—or at least something that would “grow with my child.” In other words, something that would convert to different seats—including booster seats—as she grows.

In a word, the way I felt was neglected. “But my parents never stuck me in a booster seat,” I remember thinking. “I was lucky to get a telephone book!” My childhood memories of car trips include views that were limited to the back of the passenger seat.

Of course, my parents didn’t neglect me—the law simply caught up (a little) with technology. Now that safety measures are mandated, whether you’ve got kids or not, it’s important to know these laws in case you ever do have to transport children. You can find the laws in your state here.

But given that booster seats can reduce your child’s injuries up to 59% during a car wreck—and safety seats alone reduce risk of death in infants by 71% (and toddlers by 54%), I say, why go for your state’s guidelines when you can still have your child be safe a little further? Why do some states have child restraint laws up to age 8—while others have them only up to age 4? I think it would be particularly interesting to see the incident rates between these states.

At any rate, don’t just use the minimum guidelines for your child if you think it’s not enough. Sure, your 7-year-old might complain about sitting in a booster seat, but if she’s on the small side, it might just be safer for her. The CDC has some guidelines set that might help you decide whether to keep a booster seat beyond the state’s recommendation.

Here are some other ways to make sure your child travels safely.

• Use the center of the backseat if you can. We were advised to do this in the NICU with our premature baby as an extra precaution—but if it’s safer, why not do so for all babies if you possibly can?
• Have a backup car seat at home. If you find yourself without a ride—say your wife needs the car for work—and you suddenly have to take the baby somewhere, you can still safely get a ride from a friend or relative and use your backup car seat. If Grandma, Grandpa or another friend or relative is going to be caring a lot for your child, it’s a good idea for them to have one of their own, too.
• Follow proper seat safety guidelines. You can look these up—and should—but it’s also a good idea to have your seat looked over at a fire station. They’ll usually do it for free.