Booster Seats – Keeping Kids Safe
Your child needs a booster seat when he or she has grown too big for the forward-facing car seat. Your child will be too big when he or she reaches the height or weight limit for your car seat. Check your car seat instructions. Don’t be surprised to find your child might be 7, 8 or older before they outgrow a booster seat. It’s about height and weight not age so don’t be in a rush to move to the seat belt!
Seat belts are made to fit adults, not small children. If you are choosing a new booster seat, buy one with the highest possible height and weight limits. If you already have a booster seat, your child may outgrow the height or weight limit for the seat before he or she is big enough to use the seat belt. If this happens, your child will need another booster seat with higher height and weight limits.
When a child is too small for the seat belt, it touches the child’s neck and rides up on his or her belly. In a crash, the seat belt works by holding your child tight. This puts pressure on your child’s body. If the seat belt is in the right places, it puts pressure on the bones of your child’s shoulder, chest and hips. This is much safer than if the seat belt puts pressure on soft areas, such as your child’s neck or belly.
A booster positions the seat belt over the right places on your child’s body for safety. A booster seat keeps the seat belt over the middle of your child’s shoulder and chest. It keeps the seat belt away from the neck. A booster seat also helps the seat belt fit across your child’s hip bones.