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- What can happen if my child uses a seat belt
too soon?
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At what age/size should my child move from:
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- How much do booster seats cost?
- Where can I buy a booster seat?
Vehicle seats and seat belts are designed
for adult-sized bodies that are at least 4'9" tall. When you put your child in a seat belt too soon:
The lap belt can ride up above the pelvis (hip bone) onto the abdomen, or tummy. When this happens, the internal organs can be damaged
in a crash. This is called "seat belt syndrome." In some
cases the spinal cord can be damaged and the child can become paralyzed.
The shoulder belt crosses the face and neck and can bother the
child. Because of this, the child sometimes places the shoulder
belt behind his back or under his arm. This leaves him with a lap
belt only and no protection for the upper body. In a crash, this
can cause broken ribs and internal organ injuries. It also causes
head injuries, a very serious concern as the brain is the organ
least likely to recover from injury.
Booster seats protect against serious injury
3 ½ times better than seat belts. Booster seats protect against
head injury 4 times better than seat belts.
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Rear-facing Infant Seat
Infants should ride in a rear-facing seat
until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds.
Many convertible seats allow children to ride rear-facing until
they weigh 30 pounds. A baby is too big for the rear-facing seat
when she reaches the seat's upper weight limit or when her head
is an inch from the top of the seat.
Forward-Facing Toddler Seat with Harness
Children should ride in a forward-facing seat
with a harness when they are more than 20 pounds and are over one
year of age. A child is too big for the forward-facing car seat
when:
He reaches the upper weight limit for the car seat. (Check the
label on the seat to see the top limit.)
The harness straps are no longer at or above his shoulders.
His ears are above the top of the car seat pad and shell.
Booster Seat
Children should begin to ride in a booster
seat when they have outgrown their forward-facing car seat,
usually when they are over 40 pounds. (If the upper weight limit
of the forward-facing car seat with harness is higher than 40 pounds,
then they should move to a booster seat when they reach the upper
weight limit.)
Unlike car seats, booster seats use the adult
lap and shoulder seat belt to buckle children in safely.
A child is too big for his booster seat when
the adult seat belt fits right. (See below for information on when
the seat belt fits correctly.)
Seat Belt
Children can ride safely in a seat belt when
the seat belt fits right, typically when they are at least 4'9"
tall, around and 8 years old.
The seat belt fits right when:
She can sit with her bottom against the seat back for the entire
car ride.
She can bend her knees over the edge of the seat without slouching.
The lap belt stays low on the hips and over the top of the thighs.
It does not move up to her abdomen, or tummy, when she rides.
The shoulder belt crosses the center of her shoulders, not her
neck or face.
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Place the booster
in the back seat of the vehicle equipped with a lap AND a shoulder
belt. When your child sits in the booster seat, his hips should
be flat against the back of the seat and if he is using a high-back
booster seat, his shoulders must also be flat against the seat back.
The lap belt should be across the top of the thighs, at the joint
of the legs, and the shoulder belt should fit across the center
of the shoulder and the child's chest. If needed, thread the shoulder
belt through the "guide" on the side of the seat to move
the belt away from the face or throat. To prevent whiplash, it is
important that the top of his ears is not higher than the booster
seat or the vehicle seat back.
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High-back booster seats have a back that protects
your child against whiplash in cars with low seat backs. They can
be used in cars with or without headrests on the vehicle seats.
No-back booster seats work in the same way
as high-back booster seats, but no-back booster seats need to be
used with vehicle seats that have headrests. To protect against
whiplash, the headrest should be above your child's ears when she
is sitting in the no-back booster seat.
Both types of seats are effective at protecting children in car
crashes.
The lap and shoulder seat belt must be used
with both types of seats.
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It is no longer recommended to use the shield
portion of this type of booster seat. If the shield can be
removed, read the manufacturer's instructions and take it off.
The seat can then be used with the lap and shoulder belt for children
over 40 pounds.
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Safety professionals recommend that children
under 12 years old ride in the back seat of the vehicle because
it is safer for them. Most crashes occur to the front of the
car. If you do not have shoulder belts in the back seat of your
vehicle, try one of the following options:
Use one of the products designed for lap-only seat belts.
Contact the Safety Restraint Coalition at 425-828-8975 or 1-800-BUCK-L-UP
for more information about your options.
Have shoulder belts retrofitted in the back seat. This option is
safest since it will allow you to protect your child with a no-back
or high-back booster seat. Contact your car dealer for more
information.
.If your front seat does NOT have an airbag, allow the child to
use the front passenger seating position by the door, and use a
booster seat to position the lap and shoulder seat belt. Since
it is safest for children to ride in the back seat, use a booster
seat in the front only if necessary. The front seat should be pushed
back as far as it can to keep the child away from the dashboard.
And, NEVER put a child in the front seat if it has an air bag.
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In most cases, the answer is no. A child in
a booster seat wears the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt and does
not require a locking clip.
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9.How much do booster seats cost?
The price of a booster seat varies, but the
retail price typically ranges from $15-$125. See the Booster
Seat Models Available For Purchase for more details.
You may also visit the American Academy of
Pediatrics' "2000 Family Shopping Guide
to Car Seats" at: http://www.aap.org/family/cps.htm.
The cost of a booster seat is far less than
the cost of a visit to the doctor or the emergency room.
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Booster seats can be purchased at most discount
chain stores such as Toys 'R Us, K-Mart, Fred Meyer, and Target.
Stores and Web sites that specialize in baby products and catalogs
also carry booster seats.
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