Boosters Better Than Belts for Kids 40 to 80 Pounds, Auto Club Says
14 February 2000
Boosters Better Than Belts for Kids 40 to 80 Pounds, Auto Club Says
LOS ANGELES Feb. 14, 2000--Careful parents who properly restrain infants and toddlers in child safety seats too often skip a step when it comes to properly protecting older children riding in vehicles, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.The Auto Club is joining with other safety-minded organizations during National Child Passenger Safety Week, Feb. 13-19, to call attention to the need for increased use of child booster seats.
"The forgotten step is to buckle children weighing between 40 and 80 pounds into booster seats designed to position adult seat belts correctly and safely around the child," said Arline Dillman, Ph.D., the Auto Club's traffic safety expert. "Booster seats are better than belts because children that are not large enough to correctly fit an adult-sized seat belt remain at risk of fatal injury from shoulder straps that cut across their necks and lap belts that ride up onto their soft bellies."
According to the Auto Club, the easiest way to know when children are large enough for an adult seat belt is to evaluate whether the child can sit with their back straight up against the seat cushion while their knees bend over the seat edge without slouching.
Restraint use for children from ages one to four is 91 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, restraint use plummets to 69 percent for children ages five to 15 -- and most children ages five to eight are improperly protected with an adult-sized seat belt, instead of a booster.
Booster seats can be obtained at major retailers usually for less than $60. All booster seats are required to meet federal safety standards, regardless of price. They make great gifts from grandparents or family friends, Dillman added.
One of the biggest challenges to using a booster seat is child acceptance, said Dillman. The Auto Club offers several key tips for choosing and using the right booster seat:
-- From an early age, explain to young children that they will
use a booster seat when they are older.
-- Emphasize that the booster seat is for "big" kids.
-- Let children help in selecting the seat.
-- Make sure the seat fits your child's weight and height.
-- Try installing a seat in your vehicle before purchasing it.
Make sure it fits the vehicle seat and restraint system.
-- Always consult your vehicle owner's manual before purchasing
and installing a child safety seat. Most will offer specific
instructions and list special equipment needed for proper
installation of a child safety seat.
The Auto Club also recommends that all children under age 13 ride in the back seat.
"The safest place for a young passenger is in the back seat, properly restrained," said Dillman. "Unless there is no alternative, the back is where it's at."
When there is no other alternative but to place a child over the age of one in the front seat, push the vehicle seat all the way back and make sure the child is safely fastened in the appropriate child safety restraint.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, insurance services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs and legislative advocacy. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.
