Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 5 to 14 years - a fact that can be linked, at least in part, to the reality that most kids are unbuckled or improperly restrained in vehicles.
When children out-grow forward-facing child safety seats, they need to be restrained in belt-positioning booster seats - until they are big enough to fit properly in an adult seat belt.
On a small child, the adult lap belt rides up over the stomach and the shoulder belt cuts across the neck. In a crash, this could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The following is information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about booster seat safety.
Children Who Should Use A Booster Seat:
A child who has outgrown a convertible child safety seat (about 40 lbs or 40 inches).
A child who weighs between about 40 and 80 lbs.
Usually a child who is about 4 to 8 years old and is at least 35 inches tall.
A child who cannot sit with his or her back straight against the vehicle seat back cushion or who cannot sit with knees bent over a vehicle's seat edge without slouching.
For maximum protection, keep a child in a forward-facing child safety seat with full harness as long as the child fits in the seat. (See the instructions for your child safety seat for best fit.)TYPES OF BOOSTER SEATS:
Belt Positioning Booster:
For a child 40 to 80 lbs.
The child sits in the booster seat and uses the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint.
Lap and shoulder belts together offer better protection than lap belts only.
Are available in high back and backless models.High Back Booster With 5 Point Harness
With Harness - Is a forward facing child safety seat for a child 20 to 40 pounds or more where the 5-point harness provides full body protection.
Child safety seat is attached to vehicle with vehicle belt system and tether (if seat has one).High Back Belt-Positioning Booster
At 40 pounds the harness is removed.
Child safety seat converts to belt-positioning booster.
Child uses the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint.
Use without tether (unless stated in manufacturer's instructions).Shield Booster:
With Shield - A shield booster seat, with the shield in place can be used for children between 30-40 pounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children over one year and between 20 to 40 pounds be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat, with a full harness.
With Shield Removed - With some booster seats, when the shield is removed, the booster seat becomes a belt-positioning booster using the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint. Never allow a child to sit in the booster seat without the shield while using only the lap belt.INSTALLING A BOOSTER:
Read the booster seat instructions and your vehicle owner's manual before installing the booster seat.
If the vehicle has only lap belts in the back seat, you may want to consider having shoulder belts installed by a dealer or repair facility. Most vehicle manufacturers offer retrofit shoulder belt kits for this purpose.
Properly fitting lap and shoulder belts reduce the potential for belt-induced injury which can occur when a lap or lap/shoulder belt is a small child's only restraint.
Click here for more information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's web site.Click here to find car seat inspections stations near you.
BUYING A BOOSTER SEAT:
All booster seats are required by law to comply with the same standards and guidelines as child safety seats.
When buying a booster seat make sure that it has a label stating: "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards."
Never use a booster seat that has been in a crash. The seat may have defects that are not visible.REMEMBER:
All children ages 12 and under should sit in the back seat, properly restrained whenever possible. It's safer!
Never use just a lap belt across a child sitting in a belt-positioning booster.
Never put the shoulder belt under a child's arm or behind the back because it eliminates the protection for the upper part of the body and increases the risk of severe injury in a crash.
Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a child. They can slide around and increase the likelihood of injury.
State child passenger safety laws apply to infant, convertible, and booster child safety seats.