Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's Best Bets For Booster Seats

New safety ratings are out to help parents keep young children safe in the family car.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced its best bets in booster seats.

Booster seats elevate children riding in the backseat, providing a good seat belt fit that is essential for kids ages four to eight.

The Institute for Highway Safety says a record number of new booster seat models earned the their 2014 best bet rating -- with 27 out of 41 providing solid seatbelt fit on kids in a range of vehicles.

The lap belt should cross high on the thigh, not the abdomen - with the shoulder belt firmly in the middle of the shoulder.

Improperly fitted seatbelts can actually hurt kids, causing neck lacerations and other problems.

They said consumers should avoid the Diono Olympia and Pacifica models and the Kids Embrace Batman No Back booster because of poor seat belt fit.

Research shows a good booster seat cuts the risk of crash injuries by 45-percent for kids ages four to eight.

Top-rated booster seats can cost anywhere from $25 to more than $350, depending on features.

For their complete results, visit their website here: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/child-boosters