Safety Institute Suggests Kids Use Booster Seats Until Age 12

"PRBot II" (prbot2)
11/09/2013 at 14:26 • Filed to: wtf, lolcars, news

The safety message couldn’t be clearer: seat belts save lives. But, experts are reminding parents that seat belts were built for adults, so children may need to stay in booster seats much longer than is legally required. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is suggesting that may be as old as 12.

Reposted from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

“I think that’s great,” said Jessica Benitez. “As many wrecks as there are, as congested as the roadways are, people texting and driving, all that stuff, the safer we can keep the kids the better.”

Benitez, a mother of two, says she can commiserate with parents whose kids may not like the car seats and boosters. But, she never wavers and her instinct for safety is backed by solid research that says children need to be restrained while riding in vehicles.

According to the IIHS, children between the ages of four- and eight-years-old are 45-percent less likely to be injured in a motor vehicle crash when riding in booster seats, as opposed to wearing seat belts alone. Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages one year old to 13.

“I think all parents want to do the right thing,” said Shelli Stephens-Stidham, with the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas at Parkland Hospital, “they just may not know what the right thing is.”

The Injury Prevention Center works to raise community awareness about the need for proper child safety restraints. The agency also hosts child safety/booster seat checks to help parents install the seats and make sure they’re being used correctly.

The next car safety inspection is scheduled for Saturday, November 9 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Mount Sinai Baptist Church. The church is located at 6819 Lake June Road, in Dallas. Families must call 214-590-4455 to make an appointment.

Another free car seat check is scheduled for this weekend in Tarrant County. On November 9, parents can head to Castleberry Baptist Church in White Settlement. The seat check will be held between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 682-885-2634. Those arriving without an appointment will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Cook Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Tarrant County are sponsoring the event.

In Texas, state law requires that children ride in car seats or booster seats until 8-years-old. But, safety experts say it is not the age, but the fit that matters.

“Kids need to stay in a booster seat until they can adequately fit in a seat belt and ride for a long period of time with their backs against the seat, their feet on the floorboard and their bottom near the bite of the seat,” explained Stephens-Stidham. “If you can keep your kid in a booster seat until they’re 12 years old, then do that.”

And while proper fit is key, experts say not all booster seats are the same.

The IIHS recently completed its review of booster seats. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! to read the agency’s rankings and recommendations and check out examples of how seat belts should fit when children are properly restrained.

DISCUSSION (28)

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 14:32

Yeah I was out of a booster seat before I was 5. I dont know many kids past 9 in booster seats at all.

Nibby > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 14:32

At this point, I'm just waiting for the "anyone who weighs less than 10% of the car's curb weight must wear a booster seat." That way, most drivers would be required to wear them.

Montalvo > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 14:34

I kind of laugh at this because in some cases they do have a point but at 12 I was already about as tall as my teachers. This conversation from top gear at S9E6 has never been more relevant.

James : Now, you know that new law about kids under four foot five, they have to use booster seats in the car? Jeremy : [pointing at Richard] He does. Richard : Yes, all right. I just knew... James : All right. People under four foot five have to use a booster seat in the car. Well, in North Yorkshire, the police say they cannot enforce that law, and d'you know why? They do not have the - [breaks up giggling] They do not have the legal - [breaks up giggling again] Jeremy : I can't wait for this now. The legal... ? James : Because they do not have - the legal right - to me-measure children! Richard : Just measure them? James : So if you see a policeman measuring your children, you think, "Quick, call the - oh." Richard : So they'll have to do what they usually do, then, and just put up some new sort of camera by the road, to monitor children in cars and make sure they - Jeremy : No, no, no, you can't video children. You ever been to a school sports day? You have to ask every parent there before you're allowed to take the camera out of the boot. Richard : Well, go to your own kids' sports day, maybe they'll let you do it.

twinturbobmw > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 14:35

Sitting in a booster seat when you're 12 will make you taller than your parents. Why are you suggesting this again?

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Montalvo
11/09/2013 at 14:38

I immediately thought of the same thing.

Excellent!

PRBot II > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
11/09/2013 at 14:40

I had a girlfriend when I was 12. A booster seat would have been so uncool.

zadtheinhaler > Montalvo
11/09/2013 at 14:40

Jeremy : No, no, no, you can't video children. You ever been to a school sports day? You have to ask every parent there before you're allowed to take the camera out of the boot. Richard : Well, go to your own kids' sports day, maybe they'll let you do it.Aaaaaand this is why we can't have nice things.

PRBot II > twinturbobmw
11/09/2013 at 14:41

Idk, why am I?

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Nibby
11/09/2013 at 14:42

I'm growing quite tired of this trend to have seating positions that feel like I'm sitting on the car, rather than in it.

Coupled with the reduction in greenhouse area, which is there solely to help protect those occupants who choose not to wear their seatbelts, I feel like they'd rather just have everyone drive around in an enclosed, padded cell.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 15:03

Lets take this argument to its logical end, shall we?

Kinja'd!!!

All vehicle occupants must be seated in an approved racing harness with 5 point belts and a quick-release steering wheel in case of emergency. Further, all cars must be equipped with a professionally-installed chrome molly roll cage and have fire extinguishers within reach of the driver and front passenger. Further, all occupants must wear a DOT approved full-face helmet and HANS device, as well as a SFI-5 fire protection suit.

Happy motoring, you're safe now!

PRBot II > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/09/2013 at 15:05

This. Exactly this right here.

Axel-Ripper > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/09/2013 at 15:15

However, the mounting points in 5 point belts, in order to properly work, must be custom fit for every driver, or at least positioned appropriately for the seating position. This means that in order to make a car that can fit people 6'5" tall, everyone under ~5'10" will need a seat insert in order to remain safe.

This actually wouldn't be a bad idea and would make cars a lot safer. Other than the reduction of crumple zones afforded by a roll cage designed for high speed collisions and the reduced visibility afforded by helmets (which are illegal in many states)

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Axel-Ripper
11/09/2013 at 15:30

It's a horrible idea. You have to balance safety and practicality, even when kids are involved.

SonorousSpeedJoe > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 15:31

I was out of a booster seat by 2nd or 3rd grade. I really don't think kids as old as 12 need them.

This reminds me of a commercial from a few years back.

"4'9" is the magic number. Until then, kids need a booster seat." Really?

Agrajag > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 15:36

My mom wouldn't let us sit in the front until you were 4 years of age. This was in a car with lap belts only.

PRBot II > Agrajag
11/09/2013 at 15:49

That sounds about right. I've heard babies and toddlers should only ride in the back.

Thunder > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 16:30

My 8 year old daughter is 51 lbs. She's like a twig, due to a combination of genetics and over-activity (she does both competitive dance and cheer). Legally, in NC, she no longer has to be in a car seat, as the law says age 8 or 80 lbs. She'll stay in the booster, though, until I no longer think it fair to her... which at this rate may be after she moves out, goes to college, and gets married.

In contrast, my 14 year old son is taller than my wife (which... thinking how to put this without getting in too much trouble... let's go with "isn't excessively tall"). He also weighs a good 170 lbs or so. He was ready to shed the booster seat around when the legal requirement expired, at age 8. I'm pretty sure he was right around 80 pounds at that time as well.

ASheep > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 16:50

I agree with the message being put forward here, but making a blanket law isn't the way to do it.

A seatbelt is designed to stop you accelerating out of your seat, but only when you're sitting in an upright position, with your feet on the floor and the belt tight over your shoulder. If you're in any other position, it's not going to work properly, and may do more harm than good...

If your kids complain about booster seats and sitting properly, educate them. This goes for all passengers. My partner used to put her feet up on the seat, with the belt under her armpit. Telling her about what could happen had no effect, so one day on an empty backroad, I panic braked from about 50mph. Tell, then show, the lesson will stick.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Agrajag
11/09/2013 at 16:51

that was before all the safety developments of today though.....

Cars today are much much safer than cars from the 60s

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > SonorousSpeedJoe
11/09/2013 at 16:54

Actually... yes

I happen to be a seating engineer for a major OEM. If you look at crash events for an Average Female of the 5th percentile (those are what? 5' to 5'2"?) you will be surprised to know how they don't perform as well in crashes as 50th percentile males.... the booster seat helps with injury in crash events because it brings the occupant to a position where the safety was tuned for a bigger percentage of the population.

While I don't think it should be required, I genuinely KNOW they would benefit from booster seats under 5' height

PRBot II > Thunder
11/09/2013 at 17:01

Wow, your son weighs a little more than me, and I'm 6'1", 30 years old.

That's interesting how NC specifies their law by age and weight. SSJ commented with a video about needing to be at least 4'9".

PRBot II > ASheep
11/09/2013 at 17:03

Ah, the panic brake. Sounds like she learned a good lesson. I wouldn't have minded being a "fly on the wall" for that one!

SonorousSpeedJoe > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
11/09/2013 at 17:12

Thanks, that makes sense. I guess my stance is based on how I thought it was weird when it aired; I was in middle school then, so I and everyone else I knew had been out of booster seats for a long time.

f86sabre > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
11/09/2013 at 18:04

Thanks for your post. I was going to make the point about small women as well. There are some small, skinny ladies who technically would benefit from a booster seat, but pride keeps them out of one.

Thunder > PRBot II
11/09/2013 at 21:01

Yeah, we've been struggling with getting him to be more active, and lose some of the weight. I'm almost the same weight, at 38 and 5'9"... and a bicyclist (or aspiring one).

I've tried everything I can think of to motivate him; he says he wants to lose, but then has every excuse in the book for not exercising, and keeps choosing the wrong foods. It doesn't help that my parents live in our basement, and keep enabling him... and they won't take direction from anyone.

On the exercise front, I bought a tandem bike a few years back; I have gotten him out on it, even enough to do a multi-day 100 mile ride, and a single-day max of roughly 60 (I think we were trying for a metric century, but I don't think we (he) made it).

We reinstated our gym membership not long ago - maybe that will do it. He enjoyed racquetball when I tried to intro him to that before...

Sorry - I'm a little frustrated here.

Agrajag > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
11/09/2013 at 21:52

This was the late 80's, we just had an old ass car.

PRBot II > Thunder
11/10/2013 at 07:36

It's all good man, I understand.

JEM > PRBot II
11/11/2013 at 11:28

Booster seats? I don't think these existed when I was a kid.

Heck, I don't think I was ever even in a baby car seat.

Can't find the source now, but prior to 1980, only 10% of children were in car seats under like age 4 or something.