With the new year comes a new law that could impact the safety of children. Starting Jan. 1, 2019, changes to Nebraska's child passenger laws take effect. "This change has been a long time coming," said Kelley Still. She is the mother of 1-year-old Katherine.The changes are not huge but they will impact children's lives in a big way."While I had really bad whiplash and big marks from the seat belt across me, Katherine didn't even cry. She was completely fine because the shell of that car seat absorbed the impact of that crash," said Still."By keeping them rear-facing as long as possible, the seat basically cradles that child and helps to prevent injuries to the neck and spine," said AAA's Public Affairs Director Rose WhiteStarting with the new year, Children under the age of two need to be in a rear-facing child restraint. They need to stay in the rear-facing restraint until they turn two or until they reach the weight and height limit of that seat. This is a new requirement to the law. Children up to the age of 8 need to be in a federally approved car or booster seat. In previous years it was up to the age of 6. Children up to the age of 8 also need to ride in the back seat unless every seat is already taken by another children under 8-years-old. This is also a new component to the law. "We have to keep in mind that the adult seat belts that are made in a car are not really utilized or should not be utilized by children without the benefit of that booster seat," White. For more information click here or here.