Does Your
Child Need a Booster Seat?
Source: National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
 Booster
Seats Help Seat Belts Fit Properly
Children
Who Should Use a Booster Seat:
Types
of Booster Seats
Buying
and Installing a Booster Seat
Safety
Tips
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), only 6 percent of the approximately 20 million children who
should be riding in booster seats are using them. As a result, more
than 500 children ages 4 to 8 are killed each year and thousands
more are injured in motor vehicle crashes. While there are no
guarantees, many of the deaths and injuries could be prevented by
the proper use of belt-positioning booster seats, preferably in the
back seat, that work with the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts to
provide the best possible protection for children between 40 and 80
pounds (typically from 4 to 8 years old). While the use of booster
seats has not been mandated in every state, a number of states have
recently enacted legislation that requires the use of booster seats
by children who have outgrown their forward-facing child safety
seats. For more information on booster seat laws in your state, see
our list of
current booster seat laws, state by state.
Booster Seats Help Seat Belts Fit Properly
Designed specifically to help standard vehicle seat belts fit
children better, booster seats are used to protect children who have
outgrown their car seats but are still not large enough to fit
properly in an adult-sized safety belt. On a small child, an adult
lap belt can ride up over the stomach and the shoulder belt can cut
across the neck. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries in
the event of a crash. By providing a better fit for lap and shoulder
belts, booster seats reduce the potential for belt-induced injuries
which can occur when a lap or lap/shoulder belt is a small child's
only restraint. Here are some guidelines for determining whether or
not your child should be using a booster seat:
Children Who Should Use a Booster Seat:
- A child who has outgrown a convertible child safety seat
(about 40 pounds or 40 inches).
- A child who weighs between 40 and 80 pounds.
- A child who is younger than 8 years of age and less than
4-feet-9-inches 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.
- For maximum protection, keep a child in a forward-facing child
safety seat with full harness as long as the child fits in the
seat. (See the instructions for your child safety seat for the
best fit.)
Types of Booster Seats
Belt-positioning booster: Designed for children who weigh
between 40 and 80 pounds, belt-positioning boosters are available in
high-back and backless models. The child sits in the booster seat
and uses the vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint. Lap and
shoulder belts together offer better protection than lap belts only.
High-back booster with 5-point harness: This type of booster
seat can be used as a forward-facing child safety seat for a child
who weighs 20 to 40 pounds, or more. The booster seat is attached to
the vehicle with the vehicle's belt system and tether (if the seat
has one), while a 5-point harness provides full body protection.
Without harness: When a child reaches 40 pounds, the 5-point
harness is removed and the seat converts to a belt-positioning
booster seat. In this configuration the child uses the vehicle's lap
and shoulder belts for restraint, and a tether will not be used.
Shield booster: This type of booster seat can be used as a
forward-facing child safety seat for a child who weighs 20 to 40
pounds, or more. The booster seat is attached to the vehicle with
the vehicle's belt system and tether (if the seat has one), while a
5-point harness provides full body protection. With shield
removed: With some booster seats, when the shield is removed,
the booster seat becomes a belt-positioning booster using the
vehicle lap and shoulder belts for restraint. Never allow a child to
sit in the booster seat without the shield while using only the lap
belt.
Buying and Installing a Booster Seat
- All booster seats are required by law to comply with the same
standards and guidelines as child safety seats.
- When buying a booster seat make sure that it has a label
stating: "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards."
- Never use a booster seat that has been in a crash. The seat
may have defects that are not visible.
- Read the booster seat instructions and your vehicle owner's
manual before installing the booster seat.
- If the vehicle has only lap belts in the back seat, you may
want to consider having shoulder belts installed by a dealer or
repair facility. Most vehicle manufacturers offer retrofit
shoulder belt kits for this purpose.
- For more information on seat installations, see our
Safety Tips for Car Seat Installations.
Safety
Tips
- All children ages 12 and under should sit in the back seat,
properly restrained whenever possible. It's safer!
- 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.
- State child passenger safety laws apply to infant,
convertible, and booster child safety seats.
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