Booster Seats: It’s All About The Fit

NORWALK — Booster seats are a proven way to help keep kids safer in vehicles. In fact, for children age 4- to 7 years old, booster seats reduce injury risk by 59 percent compared to seat belts alone, according to researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

But, according to Robert Cordes at Safe Kids Fairfield County, a report released October 1 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has questioned if certain booster seats provide children with a better fit than others. Kids come in all shapes and sizes, and not all boosters will fit all children the same way.

According to the IIHS, Researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute assessed two types of boosters — backless and highback — under conditions representing a range of 2001–2006 model vehicles. Some highbacks convert to backless, and some boosters, called combination seats, can be used as child restraints.

Highback and backless modes were evaluated separately because each mode affects how belts fit. More importance was assigned to lap belt fit. All of the best-bet boosters locate this belt on children’s upper thighs.

The main problem for the boosters that are not recommended is they leave the lap belt partially or fully on the abdomen. A correctly positioned lap belt loads pelvic bones during a crash, not the abdomen.

A good booster also positions the shoulder belt at mid-shoulder, keeping the webbing away from the neck so it will not chafe and reducing the likelihood that kids will endanger themselves by putting the belt behind their back or under an arm.

Mr Cordes says, based on his evaluation of the IIHS study, there are no “good” seats and “bad” seats as the IIHS list might suggest — all meet the government standard in crash tests. But booster seats are not designed to be one-size-fits-all.

The different variations in boosters allow parents to find the right fit for each child. And when it comes to traveling safe with your children, it is all about fit

Parents and caregivers should not panic, and they should continue to use booster seats for their children on every ride. There are a few simple steps parents can take to make sure a child’s booster fits correctly.

Safety belts are designed for adults and many children are too small to get a proper fit without using a booster seat. Most children who have outgrown their toddler seats but are still under 4 feet 9 inches tall and less than 80 pounds will be safest using a booster seat.

Take this easy fit test with your child to determine if a booster seat fits your child:

*Place your child on the booster seat and fasten the lap and shoulder seat belts around the child.

*Use the seat belt guides on the booster seat for the lap and shoulder belts.

*Check to be sure the lap belt rests on the top of the thighs or low on the hips.

*Check to be sure the shoulder belt is positioned on the bony shoulder — not the neck or face. Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back.

If the shoulder belt and lap belt are on the child as stated above, the booster seat will work as designed to protect your child in a crash. If not, try another brand until you find the one that fits your child.

Fortunately, there are lots of choices.

Anyone interested in speaking with a certified child passenger safety technician to evaluate your child, contact Safe Kids Fairfield County at 203-853-7115 or info@fcsafekids.org.

Booster Seat

Evaluations

Not Recommended

Safety Angel Ride Ryte backless

Cosco/Dorel(Eddie Bauer) Summit

Graco CarGo Zephyr

Evenflo Big Kid Confidence

Cosco/Dorel Traveler

Compass B505

Compass B510

Evenflo Generations

Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect

Cosco Highback Booster

Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega

Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch

Safety 1st/Dorel Intera

Best Bets

Graco TurboBooster backless with clip

Fisher-Price Safe Voyage backless with clip

Combi Kobuk backless with clip

Fisher-Price Safe Voyage

Britax Parkway

LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear

Safeguard Go backless with clip

Volvo booster cushion

Recaro Young Style

Britax Monarch

Good Bets

Graco TurboBooster

Safety Angel Ride Ryte

Recaro Young Sport

Combi Kobuk

Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65

Note: Unless the booster name indicates that it is a backless seat, all boosters are highbacks. Read the IIHS study at www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr100108.html