“Boost” you car safety IQ
Editor’s Note: The following information was provided by Rene Hopkins of Safe Kids East Central, which is led by the MCG Children’s Medical Center.
A booster seat is A) a special highchair; B) a special car seat for children older than 4 and heavier than 40 pounds; or C) a seat in a doctor’s office where children get their shots.
If you answered B, you’d be correct. But according to Safe Kids East Central, led by the MCG Children’s Medical Center, many parents aren’t aware that once children reach the magic age of 4 and graduate from their car seat, they are still too small to fit into adult seat belts. And that’s where booster seats come in.
A child older than 4 and heavier than 40 pounds needs a booster seat. Georgia law requires that children remain in an approved child safety seat at least until age 6. However, Safe Kids East Central strongly urges parents to keep children in a booster seat until they are at least four feet, nine inches tall.
Booster seats are an important part of child passenger safety since seat belts in cars are made to fit adults, not children. As a result, car seat belts won’t properly protect children and can actually cause serious, even fatal injuries if used improperly. Internal organ and spinal column injuries are the most common injuries caused by improper seat belt fit.
Boosters do exactly what you would expect, boosting your child up and out so that the car’s seat belts fit correctly. If you are unsure about how to properly install these seats, contact Safe Kids East Central at ext. 1-7606.
Children taller than four feet, nine inches can graduate to adult seat belts only if the below conditions apply:
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The child can sit all the way back against the vehicle seat, with knees bent comfortably over the edge.
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The lap belt remains snugly across the bony areas of the lower hips/upper thighs (not the soft abdomen).
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The shoulder belt remains snugly positioned across the chest and collarbone.
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And whether they’re in a car seat, booster or using an adult seat belt, children are safest in the back seat.
Parents should make sure whatever restraint they use is appropriate for the size of the child. Make booster seats an important intermediate step in that process.
Feb. 13-19 is Child Passenger Safety Week.