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ADVICE RATING

4.43 (Worth a try) from 13 votes (4918 Visits)

Does Your Child Need A Booster Seat?

by Jacqui

(June 2006) (rank 279th)

Seatbelts are not designed for young children. Booster seats are designed for children who are too small for seatbelts. A booster seat raises your child up, so the seatbelt fits properly. The shoulder belt should cross your child's chest and shoulder, away from the neck and face. The lap belt

should be low, over the hips. Strong boney areas, if the belt is across the abdomen, it can do serious damage in a collision.

Children should be in a booster seat from the time they out grow their forward facing car seat (minimum of 40lbs) until they are 80lbs, or above 4ft 9in, or 8yrs of age. Personally I am following the weight and height restrictions... my daughter who will be 8 in October, only weighs 45lbs. Just the fact that she is 8 will not protect her in a motor vechile accident.

There are two types of booster seats for the lap-shoulder belt:

High Back Booster Seat Provide head support on vechiles with low backs. They usually have a strap adjuster at the shoulder, to position the shoulder belt across the chest.

Backless Booster Seat This type is the more affordable, and is a good option only if the vechile seat provides head support.

Here are some tips to keep you child content with having to be in a booster seat.

move your child to a booster immediately after they out grow their front facing car seat
refer to the booster seat as "the big kid seat"
have your child help pick out the seat
be consistant
explain why booster seats are important
set an example

Booster seats provide 60 percent more protection than seat belts alone and substantially reduce the risk of serious injury.

Protect your child!!!

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.

ADVICE RATING

4.43 (Worth a try) from 13 votes

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	June 8th \| llmunchkin

Re: Does Your Child Need A Booster Seat?

Good advice, the laws in NSW are in this link in case anyone needs them. I know many people recommend the harness for kids in booster seats, as they can suffer terrible (and sometimes fatal) injuries when just using the sash belt, even when in a booster seat. Here is one of the many videos I found on youtube as a testimony to using a 5point harness along with a booster seat, (warning it is very sad; but important).

Here's the link in case it doesn't work... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04

Another moving testimony from the parents of Kyle David Miller and more information about using safety harnesses.

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	August 2006 \| mommyofWHA

booster seats

Here in Canada we have very strict car seat and booster seat rules that we have to obide by. Kids have to be in booster seats till they are either 8 yrs old or meet the weight/ height regulation . I have included the ministry of Transportation guidelines .. I think its a wonderful law and will hopefully stop alot of unnecessary injuries to canadian children!! http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GONE/2005/08/11/c9240.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html

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	August 2006 \| mcm

My big kids

My eldest daughter is 6 and we stopped using her booster when she was in kinder - about 4 1/2. She is quite tall and her head was too high. My boy is 3 1/2 and he longer uses a booster. I think my baby will use one for longer. He still uses a baby car seat and probably will til he is 2, then a booster til he is 5, as he is smaller then my 2 older kids.

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| mewannaboy

booster seats

My daughter is 4 and a half she is in a booster and i intend keeping her in one for a while. She is smaller and lighter and i feel our 4wd seats are big compared to her litle bottom. I feel safer knowing that she is secure in a seat with her belt fitted firmly.The police when i called them didnt know the rules on age and seats, which i thought was strange,but my preschool and rta were better informed try them if you have concerns(for those who do not know)

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| mommyofWHA

booster seats

I am a full believer of the safety of car seats ... really really annoys me when I see parents that arent using them. My 5 yr old son has friends smaller then him that do not use them and he has been teased relentlessly over it, but I tell him , no car seat no car ... if he wishes to not sit in his booster then he will not be coming with us !!

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