Child Booster Seat Safety

With the amount of literature, and advertisements dedicated to child booster seat safety, it is no wonder that the number of vehicle injuries and deaths has been steadily declining. However, there is still a large amount of deaths that could have been prevented with the knowledge of how to properly buy and install a child booster seat.

Child booster seat safety starts with buying the right seat for your child at the right age. It is exactly what it suggests; a seat that literally boosts your child higher so that the safety belt fits securely across their chest so that they will not suffer any injury such as stomach, spleen, or liver damage. It also prevents neck injuries that children may attain through wearing a seat belt that is too high on their body. In many states, booster seats are now the law, but if they aren’t, highway traffic safety officials recommend having your child in a booster seat until at least 8 years old, or reach the height of 4 feet 9 inches tall.

All booster seats that are sold in stores meet the child booster seat safety requirements. That means that technically it is safe. However, if the booster seat is not installed correctly or doesn’t fit your child, it will not hold up to the same rigid testing that the government provides to prove that it is safe. It may be possible that your child is unusually tall for their age, but aren’t 40 pounds yet. Then you may need a combination booster and car seat to give them the best protection against injury or death. They have five-point harnesses that are similar to car seats with a more comfortable and larger seating area for children of a certain age.

That brings us to the chair-style seats that support your child but give them a bit more freedom in moving around, and make them feel just a bit older. The backless seats are for cards that have a good support in the back seat. If your rear seat has a low back or one that leans backwards too much it might be better to go with the combination model.

Whichever style you choose for your car and child, make sure that all the requirements for your child booster seat safety is met. That includes checking to make sure the seatbelt is positioned correctly, and that the seat is positioned in a way in which the bottom portion of the seat belt can securely go through the guides in the booster side. It should be secure against the back seat of the car so that it does not move at all. Just with infant seats, you should make sure that you really get in your car and kneel down on the booster seat to ensure it is as tight as possible. The best place for a booster seat is in the middle of the rear seat, where your child is protected against the side impact crash. If your car does not have a shoulder belt for the middle, then the booster seat should be placed on the passenger’s side of the car so that you can see them. Child booster seat safety is one of the most important factors in driving your child around in the car, and should be researched and studied to make sure that you are giving them the best chance of not being injured in case of a car accident.