Anonymous
asks:
Q:
Should you use age or weight as determining factor for use of car seat?
In my state, a child must use a car seat (or booster seat) until "age 6 or 60 pounds". However, I spoke to a fireman who recommended that parents keep their children in car seats until "age 8 or 80 pounds." He (and others I've spoken with) said '8 or 80' was a safer threshold for survival in car crash (i.e., safety belt functioning as it should without use of car seat).
My daughter is turning 8 in a few weeks but she is still under 50 pounds (though she is quite tall for her age). Should we keep her in the car seat until she is at least 60 pounds, even though she meets the legal and recommended age requirements?
She really wants to get rid of her booster seat, but I'm inclined to keep her in it until she's at least 60 pounds. Am I being unnecessarily cautious? Is her height and age sufficient for the seat belt to work properly? Or is weight the most important factor for safety with a seat belt?
In Topics:
Car safety
My daughter is turning 8 in a few weeks but she is still under 50 pounds (though she is quite tall for her age). Should we keep her in the car seat until she is at least 60 pounds, even though she meets the legal and recommended age requirements?
She really wants to get rid of her booster seat, but I'm inclined to keep her in it until she's at least 60 pounds. Am I being unnecessarily cautious? Is her height and age sufficient for the seat belt to work properly? Or is weight the most important factor for safety with a seat belt?
> 60 days ago
Answers (2)
HealthyChildren.org, a website of the American Academy of Pediatrics,
says,
"Seat belts are made for adults. Your child should stay in a booster seat until adult seat belts fit correctly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age). This means
* The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
* The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly.
* Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip."
This is an excerpt from, "Car Safety Seats: Information for Families for 2010":
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families-2010.aspx
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers some relevant information and resources worth review:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/
says,
"Seat belts are made for adults. Your child should stay in a booster seat until adult seat belts fit correctly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age). This means
* The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
* The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly.
* Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip."
This is an excerpt from, "Car Safety Seats: Information for Families for 2010":
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families-2010.aspx
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers some relevant information and resources worth review:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/
> 60 days ago
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