WORCESTER, Mass. — Lawmakers and advocates are pushing for the Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law to include more specific language.

Right now, Massachusetts law already requires infants up to age 1 be strapped into rear-facing car seats and children up to 8 years old or 57 inches tall, remain in appropriate car seats.

The current mandate passed 16 years ago.

Advocates are pushing for the bill to require children to be strapped into rear-facing car seats until they reach age 2 or weigh 30 or more pounds.

AAA Northeast said the rear-facing car seat bill would bring Massachusetts child passenger safety law in line with guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The reality is, even at one years of age, a child's head is just that much too big, too big really to be forward facing,” said AAA Northeast Senior Spokesperson Mark Schieldrop. “Because even in relatively minor crash, they're thrown forward and a child's neck and spine is not fully developed and that means they can suffer severe injuries, including paralysis and other terrible things, where if they were rear facing they would be perfectly fine, because they're protected by that seat like it's a turtle shell."

Eighteen other states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, require the rear-facing restraints.

AAA said they're hoping the bill will pass in this legislative session.