Police are reminding parents and caregivers to prepare for a tough new child booster seat law that will go into effect on New Year's Day and carry fines of up to $500 for violators.

The law comes nearly a decade after advocates and police started lobbying at the state Legislature for stricter rules on child safety seats. The current law only applies to children up to 3 years old. But after Jan. 1, children up to 7 will be required to sit in a booster or child safety seat.

The only exception is if the child is taller than 4 feet 9, or if the vehicle only has lap belts in the back seat. Violators will be required to attend a four-hour safety class and pay fines ranging from $100 to $500.

"Police will enforce this law," said police Capt. Chuck Hirata, a certified child seat safety technician with the Maui Police Department. "We're doing it to save children's lives."

Although some opponents of the measure have said it would be too costly for parents, one parent yesterday disagreed.

Maile Burke, who has a 5-year-old, said: "It's a small price to pay for the safety of your child." She added that she often sees her son's classmates in cars without booster or safety seats.

"There's enough of a price range that it shouldn't be prohibitive."

Wendy Tomita, a parent of three, said she learned about the new law yesterday. She also found out she was already in compliance: Her 6-year-old sits in a booster seat, and her 4-year-old is in a car seat. Her 8-year-old no longer needs the booster.

"It's safer," Tomita said. "You don't have an excuse not to be using one."

The law was designed to prevent injury among the hundreds of children involved in wrecks each year.

From 2001 to 2005 in Hawai'i, 2,869 children ages 4 to 7 were involved in major car crashes, according to the state Health Department. Of those, 283 kids — or 9 percent — suffered injuries and 9.9 percent were "possibly injured," it said.

Health Department Director Chiyome Fukino said at a news conference yesterday that the risk of injury to children in crashes drops 60 percent when they are in safety or booster seats.

"We need to make protection of our children our No. 1 priority," she said.

Booster and safety seats for kids ages 4 to 7 can range from $15 to $200. The state offers a $25 annual tax credit for parents who buy a child booster or safety seat.

Including Hawai'i, 38 states have laws requiring booster seats for older children. Two states require booster seats for kids up to age 9, and 12 states require them until age 8.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.