Booster Seats

Stacey Monts and his mom were in a car wreck a few weeks ago…

“It was totally my carelessness,” says Shantel Bradford. I reached down to get water. Stacey was in the front seat. And, when I looked up from giving the water… I was hitting the next guy. And it was so fast. It was right before my eyes.”

The air bag deployed, slammed into Stacey’s face, and injured his eyes.

“I was overwhelmed at the time, and I was really sick,” says Ms. Bradford. “My son did not really actually open his eyes and keep them open on his own until the next day.”

Four years old… she thought Stacey was too old to be in a child safety seat…

“When the cop came to the scene, he was like: was he in the seat? And I was, like, no! And I’m thinking, he’s four! He’s four! He’s not supposed to be in the seat. He said, yes he is, he’s supposed to be in the seat.“

He is supposed to be in a booster seat. He’s too big for a infant seat… but too small for adult seat belts…

Bob Wilson of the National Safety Council explains why, “With the seatbelt riding too close on the neck and too high on the hips, it’s logical a small child could be injured.”

A study by the insurance industry shows booster seat use reduces injuries by almost 60-percent. And yet, Wilson says, “Only about 20-percent of kids four to age 8 are in a booster seat.”

Stacy is strapped into a booster seat every time he rides in the car now. As for his bruised eyes?

It has a happy ending cause my son is fine!! And now, he doesn’t mind using his car seat,” says Ms. Bradford.

Booster seats are recommended for kids aged four to eight who weigh between 40 to 80 pounds.

28 states and the District of Columbia currently require the use of booster seats, and New York’s booster seat law will go into effect at the end of March.

Parents who go shopping for booster seats will find they now come with added features… including cup holders, arm rests and even reading lights.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, automobile accidents are the leading cause of death among children under age 14, leading to 2,000 deaths and over 280,000 injuries each year. Many of these injuries and deaths could have been avoided if the children had been properly restrained within the vehicle.

Children who are too big for child safety seats are often restrained improperly. An observational study in four states indicated that, of children weighing 40 to 60 pounds, 75 percent were improperly restrained. The problem for most children who have outgrown their safety seats is that they are still too small for a seatbelt to properly restrain them. Children generally need to be 58 inches tall, have a sitting height of 29 inches and weigh 80 pounds before a lap/shoulder restraint will fit properly. When children are improperly restrained with a poorly fitting seatbelt, or with a lap belt only, the belt tends to ride up onto the abdomen, increasing the chance of serious injury in the event of a crash.

Experts at the CDC recommend children 10 years old and younger should use 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 ordinarily use a booster seat:

• Children who have outgrown convertible child safety seats (about 40 lbs or 40 inches)
• Children who weigh between 40 and 80 pounds
• Children who are about 4 to 8 years old and are at least 35 inches tall
• Children who cannot sit with their backs straight against the seatback cushions or who cannot sit with their knees bent over the vehicles’ seat edges 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 because they can slide around and increase the likelihood of injury

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety