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WHEN TO GET A BOOSTER?

by: Boost America/Ford Motor Company

IS YOUR CHILD SAFE?

A child’s growing years are an exciting time for parents. But they can also be a time of added risk, especially on America’s streets and highways.

Studies have found that, after age three, children run an extra risk of injury in car crashes because most of them ride without proper safety seats, ride unbelted, or are improperly using safety belts.

Nearly one-third of children ages 4 to 8 ride completely unbelted, while fewer than 7 percent use booster seats. And this failure to properly buckle up plays a large part in the fact that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children in this age group, claiming more than 500 young lives each year.

THE BOOSTER AGE

Children outgrow a typical convertible or toddler seat when they weigh 40 pounds and are around 4 years of age. But they are still too small for lap-shoulder belts to fit properly. Properly using a safety belt is always better than NOT using one, but if used improperly, a safety belt may not provide any protection. For example, children who put the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm can suffer serious injuries to the head, internal organs, or spine in a crash.

The solution? When children outgrow their forward-facing toddler seats, they need to graduate to seats for “big kids,” known as booster seats. And they need to use their belt-positioning booster seats until they grow big enough (usually over 80 pounds) for the vehicle seat and for adult safety belts to fit correctly.

BOOSTERS ARE FUN FOR KIDS

Booster seats position a child so that adult safety belts fit properly. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips and the knees bend comfortably. Booster seats also make the shoulder portion of the belt fit correctly and more comfortably for growing children, and make it easier to see out the car window. They make it fun for youngsters to ride.

Most importantly, booster seats can help save lives.

WHEN DOES MY CHILD NEED A BOOSTER SEAT?

Children need to use booster seats until they weigh about 80 pounds (about 8 years old). That’s when adult lap-shoulder belts are more likely to fit correctly. Small children tend to scoot forward until their legs hang down and they slouch against the seat back. In this position, the belts will not be effective and the child may be seriously injured. Properly installed, booster seats position the lap belt low and snug across the hips and the shoulder belt snug across the middle of the chest and raise the child for better sitting posture and comfort.

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these questions: *

Can the child sit all the way back against the seat back with knees bent comfortably at the edge of the seat?
Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

* From SafetyBeltSafe USA

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