Buckle Up: Booster Seats

• September 5th, 2014

Choosing the right car seat is high on the list for any new parent, and every parent plans to leave the hospital with a newborn securely buckled up in a car seat. But as kids grow up, using a car seat or booster seat may feel more like an option rather than a requirement. By the time kids are older and starting school, it might seem like moving to a seat belt is a relief.

But many kids still need a boost in order to ride safely in cars. In 2012, 340 children ages 4 to 10 died in motor vehicle crashes, and 35 percent were not buckled up at the time of the crash. Motor vehicle crashes are the secondleading cause of death for children 4 to 10 years old, second only to cancer. Many children this age should be riding in booster seats which have been shown to reduce the risk of serious injury by 45 percent compared to seat belts alone for children ages 4 to 8 years. Booster seats protect children who are too big for a car seat but too small for a seat belt. We know that seat belts generally don’t fit children properly until they are 57 inches or taller and between 80 and 100 pounds