The legal answer to this question comes from the state in which you live. For Ohio, the law states that a child should remain in a booster seat until they reach 8 years old or 4’9” tall, whichever comes first. This website is a great refence for car seat laws by state.
Because the legal age to ride without a booster is 8, we see a lot of children transitioning out of their booster seat right at their 8th birthday. But most child passenger safety experts – us included – advise families to keep kids in a booster until they reach 4’9” tall.
WHY THIS HEIGHT?
This height may seem tall, but 4’9” is the height at which the vehicle seat belt fits properly. Seat belts were designed to fit adults’ bodies. Therefore, using a booster seat helps to lift kids to the height where a seat belt fits properly for the best crash protection.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Using a booster seat reduces the risk of serious injury by 45% for children 4-8 years old when compared to seat belt use alone.
Failure to use a booster seat or improperly using the adult-sized seat belt can result in the following injuries:
- Injuries to their abdomen, pelvis, spine, and head.
- Bleeding from the spleen, liver, kidneys and pancreas.
- Bruising or tearing of the intestines.
- Spinal fractures or torn ligaments.
WHAT DOES A PROPER SEAT BELT FIT LOOK LIKE?
- The lap belt sitting right at the bend of their hip, touching the top of their thighs.
- The lap belt should also sit across the pelvis and hip bones.
- The shoulder belt is angled across the chest, hitting between the edge of their collarbone and shoulder.
- The shoulder belt should not touch their necks.
A COMMON ISSUE: We see children who are too short to be out of a booster seat putting the shoulder belt behind them. They do this because the shoulder belt hits their necks and it’s uncomfortable. However, putting the shoulder belt behind them is not safe and can cause significant injury in a crash.
DO THEY NEED A HIGH-BACK BOOSTER?
Some of the benefits of a high-back booster include:
- Neck support when there is no vehicle headrest.
- A built-in shoulder belt guide, which can be helpful for proper shoulder placement.
- Many of them can transition into a no-back booster when kids need less support.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: If your vehicle has a headrest, your kids can use a no-back booster. Keep in mind that all passengers, including adults, should have a headrest to the tops of their ears for optimal crash protection.
IS IT TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE BOOSTER?
Your kids may be as old as 12 before the seat belt fits them without the booster. But it’s important to wait until that point for each child. If you think your 8- to 12-year-old is getting close, you can do this five-step test to determine if they’re ready to ride without the booster. If you answer “NO” to any of these questions, we suggest you continue to use the booster seat and try again in a few months.
The five step test:
- Does the child sit all the way back against the vehicle seat?
- Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat?
- Does the shoulder belt lay between the collar bone and shoulder?
- Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Pay close attention to step #5. Some children may demonstrate a proper seated position for a short period of time, but they need to stay properly seated for the whole trip to get the best crash protection.
ARE THERE BOOSTER SEAT ALTERNATIVES?
Some families use a seat belt positioning device, since they are smaller and easier for travel. Instead of lifting the child up to fit the belt, these devices bring the belt down to fit the child. There are some belt positioning devices on the market that meet federal crash testing standards, including the Ride Safer Travel Vest and MiFold. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unsafe products that do not meet crash testing standards on the market. So your best bet is to reach out to a child passenger safety technician for help!
For more information on child passenger safety, including different types of car seat restraints, visit our car seat safety page or call 513-636-7865, option 1.
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