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Booster Seats
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| Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 | | CWK Producer |
“Without booster seats, children are not safe.”
– Amarjeet Rai, a car seat installer, educator and trainer
Kids don’t like them: “I think they’re not comfortable, and you feel like a total brat,” 10-year-old Edgar explains.
And many parents say booster seats are confusing to install.
“I’ve attempted to do it myself, but now after the demonstration, I see that it’s very different,” says Edgar’s mother, Maricela Magdaleno.
According to the Indiana University School of Medicine, two-thirds of booster seats are being used incorrectly making them as ineffective as regular adult seat belts. And that can be dangerous for kids.
“Rather than acting as a shoulder belt and crossing his actual shoulder, it’s cutting into his neck. He could be decapitated , actually,” explains car seat installer and educator, Amarjeet Rai.
Experts say automobile seat belts won’t fit properly until a child is 4 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 80 pounds, which usually happens at around age 8.
“The only thing the booster does is lift the child higher so that now the seat belt doesn’t ride into the child’s neck and so that the lap belt actually stays on the child’s lap and not the abdomen,” says Amarjeet Rai, a car seat installer, educator and trainer.
What’s more, researchers say more than 90 percent of children age 4 through 8 who are seriously injured in an accident are not in a booster seat.
So the next time your child tells you the booster seat makes him or her feel trapped, say your sorry, but don’t give in.
“You’re the parent,” Rai says. “You have to think about their safety. That’s why you’re the parent and they’re the child.”
Tips for Parents
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of childhood death in the United States. In 2006, more than 1,300 children under 14 years of age were killed in motor vehicle accidents. Another 184,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. Among children under 5, an estimated 425 lives were saved because they were properly fitted in a car or booster seat.
In 2007, 80 percent of children up to 7 years of age were using a car or booster seat. That’s up from 51 percent in 1999. But despite the rise in use, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that out of 41 booster seats tested, 13 did not meet their qualifications for recommendation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children 10 years old and younger should be using a booster seat. In general, a booster seat raises a child up for a better fit in an adult belt system. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the following children 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 under 4’9” 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.
There are a variety of booster seats on the market. Parents need to choose the right seat for their child and car. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says to consider these variables when deciding which seat to use:
- Kids vary in size even when they are the same age.
- Booster seats vary in size and shape.
- Vehicle seats vary from bench-type to contoured.
- Safety belt systems also vary from car model to model.
Parents need to be sure to read the booster seat instructions and vehicle owner’s manual before installing a booster seat.
The NHTSA also asks parents to remember these safety tips:
- All children ages 12 and under should sit in the back seat, properly restrained whenever possible.
- 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.
References
- Centers for Disease Control
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
