Buckle Up with Car Seat Safety -- Tip # 7: Booster Seats Help Safety Belts
Fit Properly... Tip #8: Know When to Use a Safety Belt without a Booster
Seat... Tip #9: Passenger-side Air Bags Can Cause Serious Harm or Kill a
Child... Tip #10: Child Safety Seats and Safety Belts Get Hurt, Too
by NHTSA
Tip # 7: Most 40-pound children are not big enough to fit into lap/shoulder
belts properly. The lap belt may ride up on your child’s tummy, and the
shoulder belt may rest on his neck, causing him to put the shoulder belt
under his arm or back. Booster seats help safety belts fit properly. Read
the booster seat’s manual for specific instructions and weight limits. There
are several types of booster seats. The belt-positioning booster is the best
choice if your vehicle has combination lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.
- Some boosters come with a removable shield. Use boosters without the
shield to make lap/shoulder belts fit correctly. Shield boosters are not
approved for children weighing more than 40 pounds.
- Some boosters have high backs and removable harnesses. With the harness in
place, the seat acts as a forward-facing child safety seat. Check the
booster seat instructions for weight limitations when the seat is used with
the harness. Without the harness, the seat is a belt-positioning booster to
be used with lap/shoulder belts. The high back is especially good if there
are no head restraints for the child in the vehicle. Tip # 8: Your child
is ready to use a lap/shoulder belt without a booster seat if he can sit up
straight with his back against the vehicle seat; his knees bend naturally
over the edge of the seat; the lap belt fits low on his hips; and the
shoulder belt rests on his shoulder. Please Note: - If the shoulder
belt goes across your child’s neck or face, use a belt-positioning booster.
- NEVER put a shoulder belt under your child’s arm or behind your
child’s back. Belts in these positions can cause serious injury in a crash.
- WARNING: Devices advertised to improve the fit of safety belts for
older children and adults are not covered by government standards. They may
help with shoulder belt comfort, but they may put too much slack in the
shoulder belt or cause the lap belt to ride up on the tummy. Boosters are a
better solution for children who fit into them.
Tip # 9: Air bags are not always clearly marked. Read your vehicle owner’s
manual to see if you have a passenger-side air bag and for instructions on
child safety seat or safety belt use on the passenger side.
- In a crash, air bags inflate very quickly. They can hit a rear-facing
safety seat hard enough to kill a baby. NEVER put an infant in a rear-facing
safety seat in the front right seat if there is a passenger-side air bag.
- All children age 12 and younger should ride in the back seat if you have a
passenger-side air bag. If there is no room in the back or you have no
alternative, make sure your child is correctly buckled up for his age and
size. If your child rides in a forward-facing child safety seat, make sure
he is snugly buckled into the seat. If your child uses a lap/shoulder belt,
make sure he does not lean toward the dashboard. In addition, the vehicle
seat must be moved as far back from the dashboard as possible. Tip #10:
If you are in a crash, always replace your child safety seats and safety
belts. Even if they look fine, they may be stretched or have hidden damage
that you cannot see that would prevent them from working properly in another
crash.
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