New Booster Seat Evaluations from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety +VIDEO

MORE TOP-RATED SEATS HELP PARENTS MAKE A SAFE CHOICE FOR THEIR KIDS

NEW YORK - October 13, 2011: A good fit is easier than ever to find when shopping for a booster seat, new ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show.

A record 31 seats have been designated BEST BETS, meaning they correctly position a vehicle safety belt on a typical 4 to 8 year-old in almost any car, minivan, or SUV. Prices for these top-rated seats range from less than $15 to several hundred dollars.

In addition to the 31 BEST BETS, another 5 seats are GOOD BETS, meaning they provide acceptable belt fit in most vehicles. Six boosters are not recommended because they don't provide proper belt fit, and consumers are advised to avoid them.

Watch the IIHS video

Booster seats are for children who have outgrown forward-facing child restraints. A booster should elevate a child and route the lap and shoulder belts, which are designed for adults, in the correct position to restrain a child during a crash. Some boosters do this better than others. The problem is that consumers can't tell a good booster from a bad one just by comparing features or price. The Institute's booster seat ratings, initiated in 2008, are the only evaluations to tell parents which boosters do the best job of improving belt fit for children in the widest range of vehicles.

For more information and a complete list of the recommended seats go to www.iihs.org