At what age should my child use a booster car seat?

This video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8 ) is about a boy who was 18 months old and 33 lbs. He was restrained in a forward facing car seat and broke his neck. He broke his neck because forward facing car seats do not restrain a child's head during a crash. His injury could have been prevented had he road in a rear facing car seat.

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/rear-facin...

Above link: This website has a ton of information about rear facing car seats.

A booster seat can only protect a child who sits straight up and back in the seat. It would be absolutely terrible if a child were to unbuckle themselves or to lean over at the time of a crash. Generally, most children are emotionally mature enough to use a booster seat around 5-6 years old. A child under age 4 should never ride in a booster seat because their bones are developed enough to take the force of a lap/shoulder seat belt. A 5 point harness distributes the crash forces more evenly over a child's body.

A child should ride in a harnessed car seat for as long as possible, until the child has genuinely outgrown the seat by weight or height.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that 4-7 year olds ride in a harnessed car seat until it has been outgrown: http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightSeat.htm

Car crashes are the leading cause of both disability and death for children under 12 years old in the United States. Statistics show that more than 95% of child safety seats are used or are installed incorrectly. That is why it is recommended to get your child's seat checked by a child passenger safety technician (CPST). One can be found at http://www.seatcheck.org/

http://amotherworld.com/main/news/kids-should-stay...

We moved ours up to a high back booster when they outgrew their convertible seats at around age 5. A harnessed seat is safer. Our convertible seats have 17 inch top slots, so they lasted a long time. The middle child is going on age 6 and is still small enough for the harnessed seat. After age 7 we used a backless for the tall older child. Backless boosters offer minimal protection for kids under age 5 and 50 pounds, never mind some recommend the booster for age 3 and 30 pounds. You are risking serious injury to a child that small in a cheap backless booster at only 30 pounds weight. Safety is first. And FYI many states say a child must be age 4 AND 40 pounds in a booster, so this would be a very minimum age to start with a booster.

I see in your profile you are a fellow Arizonan. Howdy! There is no statutory changeover between the baby seat and a booster seat; it is all a matter of the seat ratings. Until the little one gets too big for the baby seat the extra protection is great. Although Arizona requires a booster seat until either age 7 or height 4'9" the national recommendation is 4'9" regardless of age.

I agree totally with Anne! I actually have a 7 twelve months previous in a harness, yet merely via fact he has Autism and does not stop unbuckling his seat belt and then his brothers seat belts whilst interior the vehicle in his booster. think of attempting to reinstall 2 vehicle seats on the component to the parkway whilst attempting to no longer enable your youngster out of the vehicle! Grrrr yet I somewhat have a 4 twelve months previous and as quickly as he out grows his harness, 65lbs or over 17in torso, he would be in a booster, this is that if he can keep away from doing what his brother does! He rode in a booster as an emergency seat some months in the past and did nice. besides the undeniable fact that it grow to be an extremely short journey and he has a tendency to pass to sleep on longer ones.

Child Passenger Safety Laws

November 2012

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafet...

Rear facing birth - 3

Forward facing harness until age 7

Booster until age 12

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS

here in Australia it goes by the weight of the child. Phone your traffic road dept and they will tell you.