Parents in New Brunswick may soon have to put their young children in car booster seats or face fines.

During the next session of the legislature in February, the Department of Public Safety will recommend new regulations forcing the use of booster seats for children in cars.

Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, effective Jan. 1, already have such regulations.

Effective Jan. 1, the Nova Scotia government requires that:

• Infants be secured in a rear-facing child seat, with children who weigh at least 22 pounds and are at least one year old allowed to face forward.
• Children who weigh less than 40 pounds be in child seats.
• Children who weigh more than 40 pounds be in booster seats if they are younger than age nine and-or less than 57 inches tall. 

The aim is to protect children from injuries caused by seatbelts, which are made to fit adults. Parents who don't comply with booster-seat rules face fines of $157.50 each.

Two years ago, the Canada Safety Council recommended more stringent guidelines for young passengers travelling in cars.

Council spokesman George Smith admits booster seats are a tough sell for some people, but says studies show dozens of children are killed every year because they're using seatbelts designed for adults.

"They found out that a younger child will submarine – in other words go underneath the seatbelt – in a collision."