Seat belts are designed for adults. Children over 40 pounds
and under 4'9" tall are too small to fit into adult seat
belts. Booster seats work by raising a child up so that the lap
and shoulder belt are positioned safely. Booster seats are a simple
solution that save lives and prevent injuries.
Basic Research Facts
How Seat Belts That Don't Fit Properly Can Harm
Children
How Booster Seats Improve Seat Belt Fit
Basic Research Facts
Motor vehicle crashes are the single largest killer for children
age 4-8 years.
4-8 year-old children are particularly vulnerable in the car.
Even though only 43% of all of the child passengers are 4-8 year-olds,
55% of child passenger injuries are in this group.
Booster seats protect kids from serious injury better than seatbelts
alone. Booster seats reduce a child's risk of injury by 59% compared
to using only a seat belt.
Booster seats have been proven to be effective in protecting children
up to 8 years old from serious injury.
Booster seats protect against head injury 4 times better than
seatbelts.
Click
here for pdf of a data summary of basic facts about booster
seats.
For more data, please visit the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
National SAFE KIDS Coalition, or the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia.
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How Seat Belts That Don't Fit Properly Can Harm Children
Children under 4'9" do not fit well in seat belts designed
for adults. The poorly fitting seat belt puts the child at risk
of serious injury in several ways.
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The lap belt rides up loosely on the abdomen instead of
crossing low over the lap. The lap belt fit is worse when
a child slouches to bend her knees over the vehicle seat.
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The shoulder belt rides up on a child's neck instead of
crossing properly over the shoulder and breastbone. Children
frequently place the shoulder belt under their arm or behind
their back because it rubs against the face or neck.
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How Improperly Restrained Children Experience Crashes
In a car crash, a child under 4'9" tall who is buckled only
in a seatbelt is at risk of:
1) Flying forward toward front seat or windshield
2) "Submarining," or slipping out from under the loose
seat belt.
Click on the video
clip to see how a child restrained only by a lap belt will
experience a crash.
(NOTE: You will need Windows
Media Player, QuickTime,
or RealPlayer
in order to view the video. These software applications are free.)
Types of Injuries
There are a number of injuries that a child can experience if
a booster seat is not used. Many of these injuries can be quite
serious, and sometimes an improperly restrained child can die
in a crash.
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Head Injury
- Occurs when a shoulder belt is under the arm or behind
the back
- Severe contusions to the brain
- Disability can result from the trauma
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"Seatbelt Syndrome"
- Occurs when a shoulder belt is under the arm or behind
the back
- Occurs when the lap belt rides up on the abdomen.
- In a crash, the improperly placed lap belt will drive
into the abdominal area causing serious injuries.
- Soft internal organs such as the liver and spleen can
be crushed
- Intestines can expand and "pop" like a balloon
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Neck and Spinal Injuries
- Occurs when a shoulder belt is under the arm or behind
the back
- Occurs when the lap belt rides up on the abdomen
- Neck and spine can bend traumatically and tear apart
Paralysis can occupy.
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How Booster Seats Improve Seat Belt Fit
Booster seats protect children by raising them up so that the
motor vehicle lap-and-shoulder belt fit correctly.
Instead of the shoulder belt uncomfortably rubbing the child's
face and neck, it is positioned properly across the middle of
the shoulder and diagonally across the child's trunk.
Instead of the lap belt riding dangerously up on the child's abdomen,
a booster seat keeps the lap belt low across the hips.
A child sitting in a booster seat can bend his knees comfortably
so there is no need to slouch. If he sits up straight, the lap
belt stays low on the hips in a safe position.
Click here to find out if your
child is big enough for a seat belt.
Click here for
information on choosing a booster seat for your child.
Click here for a booster seat
coupon.
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