AUGUSTA – Child passenger safety remained an issue statewide as regional and state officials held a news conference Jan. 7 to celebrate the first anniversary of Maine’s booster seat law.

2004 also will be the second year of the Maine Coalition for Safe Kids’ BoostME Up! public awareness campaign in partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts.

Maine Safe Kids Executive Director David Willauer said 39 car-seat safety checks were held last year across the state. Out of 583 recorded safety-seat inspections from July to December 2003, Willauer said 95 percent of seats were being used incorrectly. Nationally over the same time period, about 80 percent of child seats were misused.

Maine’s booster-seat law requires that children who weigh 40 to 80 pounds and are less than 8 years old be properly secured in a federally approved restraint system. Children who are under age 12 and weigh less than 100 pounds must sit in the back seat of a vehicle whenever possible.