More children are riding in car seats and booster seats in Michigan, according to an observation survey conducted by the Wayne State University Transportation Research Group.

Booster seat use is at 49.7 percent for 4- to 7-year-olds, up from 42.4 percent two years ago. For children from birth to 3 years old, 95.7 percent are in car seats, up from 93.6 percent in 2013.

“It’s important to build on these increases and raise awareness among even more parents and caregivers,” said Michael L. Prince, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. “Traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death nationwide among children. Car seats, boosters and seat belts can prevent many of those fatalities and injuries.”

While use is up, only a quarter of car seats or boosters for children under age 8 are used correctly. According to the survey, the most common seat-related misuse was the improper positioning of the chest clip. This was observed in nearly 57 percent of rear-facing seats and 47 percent of forward-facing seats. Chest clips should be positioned at the child’s armpit. The most common booster seat misuse was the shoulder belt not being properly positioned over the shoulder and chest of the child.

The survey found that children were least likely to be in the correct car seat or booster if:

• The driver was not buckled up (88.1 percent properly restrained for children from 0-3 and 32.6 percent properly restrained for those ages 4-7).

• The driver was 60 or older (45.9 percent properly restrained for children ages 4-7 compared to 50.3 percent for drivers ages 16-29).

• Riding in a pickup truck (only 39 percent properly restrained for children ages 4-7).

“Children must be in the correct seat for their size and that seat needs to be installed and used properly,” Prince said.

State law requires drivers and passengers 15 years old and younger in any seating position to be buckled up. Children must be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Michigan has a network of more than 1,000 child passenger safety technicians who assist parents and caregivers with proper installation and use of car seats, boosters and seat belts. For information on car seats, or to locate the nearest technician, visit cert.safekids.org.

This project is part of Michigan’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013.