School Bus Safety

Buses are the safest way for children to get to and from school. By far. School buses are larger, slower and more visible than passenger vehicles. They are statistically less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than any other form of transport to and from school. On average, just 6 children die in accidents on school buses each year. In contrast, 450 children die each year being transported to and from school in personal vehicles. Does that mean we shouldn't try to improve bus safety? Of course not.

School buses do not have seat belts to restrain passengers. Instead they rely on something called compartmentalization. Basically, this means that the high padded backs of the bus seats act like an egg carton to keep kids in their seats. In a front end collision, passengers are thrown forward into the seat back in front of them and rebound back into their original positions. Compartmentalization does keep passengers in their seats, more or less, but it does have several important limitations.

1) Children must be at least 50 lbs to benefit from compartmentalization. Head Start students and preschool aged children are not large enough to rebound back into their seats and end up slipping between the seats, winding up underneath them. This increases injuries.

2) Compartmentalization only works if children are in a forward facing seated position. From my own days on the bus, this was the exception, not the rule. Children lean over seat backs to talk to their friends, lay down sideways in the seats and stand up and move about until the bus driver yells at them to sit back down. All of these actions increase injuries.

3)  Compartmentalization does not work on small buses (less than 10,000 lbs). NHTSA requires that small buses be equipped with seat belts. Before October 2011, they required only lap belts. Since that date, they require full lap/ shoulder belts in all seating positions. Lap only belts allow too much forward motion and cause an additional injury called Seat Belt Syndrome. Lap/ shoulder belts reduce this. Buses under 10,000 lbs are subject to all relevant child passenger safety laws. In Ohio, that means that children under 4 must ride in a harnessed car seat and children under 8 must ride in an appropriate booster seat. If the small bus has lap only belts, it is not able to be used with booster seats.

4) Compartmentalization is not suitable for children who are medically fragile. Compartmentalization is a rather violent form of retaining passengers in their seats. Children are slammed into the seat back in front of them. This can cause many non-life threatening injuries such as broken noses, chipped teeth, bruising, etc. Children who are medically fragile are far more likely to be injured using this system.

This is what compartmentalization looks like:

5) Compartmentalization does not work in a roll over crash. In a roll over, children riding unrestrained on buses will not remain in position. This has a high rate of injury.

Compartmentalization was introduced on buses as a means to keep passengers in their seats in 1977. This is 40 year old technology. The way we use buses today has changed a lot in 40 years. Children are bused younger, further, faster and with a lot more cargo (backpacks, musical instruments, etc) than they were in the 1970's. Buses are frequently used to travel to sporting events and field trips across the state, requiring highway speeds and much greater risks. Children wearing heavy backpacks in their seats cause them to be pushed into the seat back in front of them with a much greater force than one without and can increase neck and spine injuries. Young children are being bused to preschool and Head Start programs and they are not protected by compartmentalization. These are all good reasons to improve our school bus restraint systems.

On November 8, 2015, NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind, Ph.D said:
"NHTSA has not always spoken with a clear voice on the issue of seat belts on school buses. So let me clear up any ambiguity now: The position of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that seat belts save lives. That is true whether in a passenger car or in a big yellow bus. And saving lives is what we are about. So NHTSA’s policy is that every child on every school bus should have a three-point seat belt. NHTSA will seek to use all the tools at our disposal to help achieve that goal, and today I want to launch a nationwide effort to get us there."

This is great news! Unfortunately we are a long way off from every child having a three-point belt on their school bus. So what should you, as a parent, do to make sure your child is traveling as safely as possible on the school bus in the meantime?

1) If you have a preschool age child, your child should be transported in a bus with either built in harnesses or in a child restraint system designed to be used on the bus.

Integrated harnessed seats

STAR seat system installed with CAM wraps

Alternatively, if the bus used by the preschool is a small bus (less than 10,000 lbs) it will be equipped with seat belts that you can install a regular harnessed car seat with. Do not allow children to ride in a bus equipped with only lap belts unless they are being used to install harnessed car seats. Booster seats are not allowed to be used. Small buses and large (12-15 passenger) vans are subject to all regular child passenger safety laws.

2) Teach your child about the importance of sitting in a forward facing position and staying seated on the bus.

3) Teach your child to remove their backpack and place it on the floor when they sit down.

4) Don't forget that school bus safety is about more than just what happens inside the bus. Make sure your kids know how to enter and exit the bus safely. More kids die as a result of being struck as a pedestrian outside the bus than in accidents while in the bus. Children should learn these basic safety rules:

• Stay at least 10 feet away from a bus until it's time to get on. Then wait your turn and get on one at a time.
• Before stepping off the bus, look to be sure a car isn't coming.
• Don't linger or play near the bus after you leave it.
• Take 5 giant steps out in front of the bus before you cross the street. Be sure the driver sees you and signals that it's OK to cross in front of the bus.
• Make sure all cars on the road are stopped before crossing the street. 

Sending your child off on the bus for the first time can be scary. Please remember that even though school buses do not have seat belts, they are safer than you driving your child to school everyday. Educate your kids on how to stay safe on and off the bus. Together, we can make buses even safer!

Head Restraints for Everyone!

You probably don't think about the block of foam behind your head when you get in your car unless it hits you in an uncomfortable position. That block of foam is so much more than a place to rest your head for comfort. What exactly is a head restraint? A head restraint is more commonly referred to as a "head rest" and they are a critical piece of safety equipment in your car and everyone in the car needs to have one. When it comes to children and vehicle head restraints things get complicated. I hope I can help you sort it all out and keep everyone as safe as possible in your car. 

Head restraints are designed to protect the occupant from whiplash. Whiplash occurs most frequently when you are in a rear end collision and your neck is overextended backwards until the car rebounds and your head is whipped forward. It results in muscle strains and pain. Whiplash suffers take an average of 4 days off of work and some suffer chronic pain for years following the injury. 

Motions of whiplash

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1982 estimated that integral head restraints reduced the risk of injury by 17% and adjustable head restraints reduced the risk of injury by 10%. They theorized that this difference was due to the fact that 75% of adjustable head restraints were left in the down position and were not high enough to provide whiplash protection. As an adult driver or passenger, every time you get in to a new vehicle, you need to take the time to adjust your head restraint. Ideally, the head restraint will be adjusted so that the top of the head restraint is even with the top of your head. For taller than average people, the head restraint must reach to at least the tops of your ears (or the midline of your head) to provide adequate whiplash protection.

A poorly adjusted head restraint

A properly adjusted head restraint

The head restraint must also be as close as possible to the back of your head- no more than 4 inches. Some adjustable restraints allow the head restraint to be tilted forward to reduce the amount of backset but others require that you move the entire seat back in to a more upright position. You definitely want to avoid a steep recline while driving, not only because of the head restraint but also because in a reclined position your seat belt will not be in contact with your body and your body will travel a lot farther in a crash.

When NHTSA implemented updates to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 202 (effective 2008) it addressed many important issues with head restraints in the front seats. It made them taller and wider, reduced the backset and generally made them more user friendly. Unfortunately, it stopped short of requiring head restraints in all seating positions. It chose to leave the back seat head restraints optional. The reasoning for this was that the back seats are much less likely to be occupied than the front seats and so the costs of requiring vehicle manufacturers to put them in the back would be higher than the medical costs of treating injuries that occur from lack of head restraints. Obviously, this doesn’t mean you don’t need them. The FMVSS 202 does state that *if* the manufacturer chooses to install head restraints in the rear seats, they must meet all the same requirements as the front seats. Unfortunately many vehicle manufacturers choose to not install a head restraint in the center position, leaving any passenger in this position at a higher risk of injury in a crash.

When it comes to child passengers and head restraints the issues can get even more muddled. To limit the amount of backset for adult (and older child) passengers, some manufacturers make the head restraints forward-leaning. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult if not impossible to install some car seats there. The manual for your car seat will tell you if this is an issue. For example, Britax requires that the head restraint not push the moveable head wings on the car seat forward out of its natural position. 

In the lowest position, this head restraint does not
 allow the seat to fit flush against the vehicle seat.
Although this is not a issue for this particular seat,
different manufacturers have different requirements.
Always check the manual!

If the head restraint is raised, the car seat sits flush
 with the vehicle seat, the head wings are not
 pushed forward and the problem is eliminated

Other manufacturers prefer that the entire back of the car seat is flush with the vehicle seat. If you have difficulty installing a harnessed seat, consult your vehicle manual to see if the head restraint can be removed. Some vehicle manufacturers allow the head restraints to be removed (some require tools to do so), some allow you to turn the head restraint backwards and some are not removable at all. If you have a harnessed seat that cannot be installed with the head restraint in place and you cannot remove the head restraint then the car seat is incompatible with that seating position. Clearly, this can get complicated!

Booster seats bring yet another complication. Most high back booster seats do not allow a gap behind the car seat. If the head restraint leaves a gap because it is forward leaning, check the vehicle manual to see if the head restraint can be removed or turned around. 

The gap left behind this booster seat is unacceptable

Turning the head restraint around fixes the
problem and prevents the head restraint from
being misplaced

You also must check your booster seat manual to see if the booster requires head support from the vehicle. Diono and many Dorel (Safety 1^st, Cosco) high back boosters require head support from the vehicle as the high backs of the boosters themselves may not be strong enough to prevent injury on their own. At this point, your options are limited to purchasing a new high back booster seat that does not require vehicle support or converting the high back booster to a no back booster and using the vehicle head restraint as intended for an adult passenger.

When you have non-adjustable or non-existent rear head restraints, you must be very aware of the height of your child relative to the vehicle seat back. The best practice in this situation is to use a high back booster that does not require vehicle support until it is outgrown. At that point it is no longer safe to transport the child in this vehicle unless they are 13 and can ride in the front seat. The Britax Parkway is a good option for this situation.

Makayla's head is well below the seat back without a
booster at 7 years old but she is no where near passing
the 5 Step Test to ride without a booster. She is at risk
for severe abdominal injuries like this.

In a backless booster, Makayla's ears are just below
the seat back. Her belt fit is great like this but any
growth will put her at increased risk of whiplash injury.

This high back booster does not require vehicle head
support. I have adjusted the back to it's highest setting
here and at ~1 inch of torso growth per year, Makayla
has about 2-3 years before she will outgrow this seat.

A final option for a position with low or no head restraints is to use a lower profile no back booster like the Safety 1st Incognito (min 60 lbs), the Bubblebum or the Mifold.


Head restraints are important for every passenger in the vehicle. They prevent the pain and suffering that comes with whiplash injuries. For adults, it’s important to adjust your head restraint for ideal protection. For children in forward facing harnessed seats, it’s important to get a good installation with adequate contact between the vehicle seat and the child restraint. For children riding in booster seats, it’s important that they have the same protection (minimum to the tops of the ears) that adults have. If the booster seat does not provide this protection, then the vehicle seat must. YOU need a head restraint! And YOU need a head restraint! I feel like Oprah. As always, feel free to contact me with any specific questions about your vehicle or car seat!

Winter is Coming

Well, it's that time of year. Leaves are falling and the weather is getting cold. Winter is coming. So what does that have to do with transporting your children safely? Thick winter coats and car seats don't mix. In a crash, a fluffy winter coat will instantly compress to the thickness of a piece of fabric and can leave way too much slack in the harness. Think about what happens when you put coats, pillows and other fluffy things into SpaceBags and vacuum out the air. They get flat! This is exactly what happens in a crash. A slack harness leaves your child at a real risk of ejection from the car seat and car. This is true of all fluff in the car seat including infant positioners, aftermarket strap covers and BundleMe's as well as coats. Nothing except fitted clothing should go between your child and the harness of the car seat.

So how do you know if a coat is safe to wear in a car seat? There is no way for anyone to say "This coat is safe" or "That coat is unsafe". There are simply too many variables. The best way to know if a coat can be worn in the car seat is to test it yourself.

1. Put the coat on your child
2. Put your child in the car seat and tighten the straps to pass the pinch test
3. Remove your child from the seat WITHOUT loosening the straps
4. Remove coat.
5. Put your child back in the car seat and do the pinch test again- if it still passes it's safe to use.

Here are some examples of how various coats performed in my seats.

Example 1:

This is Sven- my Swedish baby from IKEA. He has the torso length of a newborn baby (7.5") and he's filled with flour so the straps can't crush him. The bunting used in this example is a 0-3 month size Carter's bunting. It's two layers of fabric and a layer of fiberfill between. It doesn't seem overly thick but as you can see, it fails miserably in the fluff test.

Example 2:

This is Sven in a "Car Seat Blanket". It has holes in the back for the straps to go through and a split at the legs for the crotch strap. It's only a piece of fuzzy fabric and a piece of cotton. This is very similar to the JJ Cole BundleMe and it is not safe for the car seat, as you can see. The sheer amount of fabric bunching around under the straps leaves far too much slack.

Example 3:

This is a "shower cap" style of car seat cover for infant seats. It goes over the top of the seat and the child is safely harnessed underneath with nothing to interfere with the harness. This is an excellent, safe option for young babies.

Example 4: 
Liam is 19 months old and in a rear facing convertible car seat. He has two coats that he wears regularly- a single layer fleece jacket for fall months and a "packable" down bunting from One Step Ahead for the dead of winter. As you can see- both coats can safely be used in the car. Even though the down bunting looks thick- it compresses when the harness is tightened so it is already fully compressed under the harness and will not compress more in a crash.

Examples 5 & 6:
Makayla is almost 7 and normally rides in a high back booster but she is modeling her coats in her old harnessed seat. The thinner coat is one layer of fuzzy fabric. The thicker coat is a heavyweight winter parka from LLBean. As you can see, neither of her coats are safe to wear under a harness. They both leave a surprising amount of slack. She is also demonstrating another safe way to stay warm in the car- remove the coat, harness the child and put the coat backwards over top!

So as you can see- you really need to test your own coats in your own car seat to see if it's safe. 

If your coats aren't safe to wear in the car- don't panic! There are a ton of options!

• For infant seats- shower cap style covers or just plain blankets over top of the harness are safe and can be easily removed if baby gets too hot.
• Skip the heavy coat and wear a lightweight fleece jacket, preheat the car and then it's just a quick hop from a warm house to a warm car
• Take off coats, harness and cover with blankets in the car
• Take off coats, harness, put coats on backwards over the harness
• Car seat ponchos- harness under the poncho, flip the back out over the car seat (also easy to DIY)
• The Road Coat from One Kid is a very easy, but expensive option. It zips open to a thinner lining and then zips the heavier, outer coat over top the harness. 
• I also make a car seat blanket that goes over top of the harness and secures to the sides of the seat. Safe and warm! My Etsy Shop

Not all options work well for all families but with all of these choices there is definitely a way to keep your most precious cargo safe AND warm this winter! Buckle up!

The Ins and Outs of Proper Harnessing

90% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly.

Today I'd like to focus on the "used" portion of that statement. Much of the misuse associated with the use of a car seat stems from errors in harnessing. 

Strap Level

In a rear facing seat, the straps should come from below the child's shoulders. This is because a rear facing child in a crash will move back in to the car seat and as the seat rotates downward, the child may ramp up the back of the seat. Having the harness straps below the shoulders limits this movement. If they were above the shoulders, the child would travel the extra distance of that gap until their shoulders hit the harness straps. The less the head and neck move and stretch in a young child, the better. Some times it can be difficult to see if the straps are above or below the shoulders. There is a simple test you can do called "The Butter Knife Test". To do the test, harness your child in to the car seat and stick a butter knife along their shoulder and through the slot that the harness straps are in. If the butter knife points upward, the slot is below. If it points downward, the slot is above!

Rear Facing = Butter knife points up!

Forward Facing = Butter knife points down!

A forward facing harness should come from the slots ABOVE the shoulders. This is because in a crash, a forward facing child will move forward into the harness. If the harness starts below the shoulders there is significantly more room to move forward (greater head excursion) as with rear facing, as little movement of the head and neck as possible is the goal!

Harness Snugness

By far, the biggest error in harnessing is not making the straps tight enough. Parents are frequently worried that they are hurting their kids by making the straps too tight. You are not! Most parents do NOT make the harness straps tight enough. The harness should be "As Snug as a Hug". If the straps are too loose there is a real risk that the child would be ejected in a crash. The easiest way to see if your harness straps are tight enough is to perform "The Pinch Test". Glide your fingers across the harness webbing at your child's collarbone. If you can pinch any webbing, the harness is too loose. Don't dig in or stick a helper finger under the harness, just apply reasonable pressure and see if you can pinch the webbing. 

Too loose!

Just right!

Harnessing: Step by Step

Rear Facing

1. Buckle both tongs into the crotch buckle and tug the straps to remove all the slack from the hip and thigh area.

2. Clip the harness retainer clip (also called the chest clip) and pull upward on both straps

3. Reach behind the seat and grab both of the harness straps and pull. This is very helpful for seats that are hard to adjust using the front adjuster strap. If you pull the slack to the back of the seat it pulls out very easily with the front adjuster strap.

4. Pull the front adjuster strap by the child's feet and remove all the slack. 

5. Move the harness retain clip to the required position. The top of the clip should be even with the top of the child's armpits.

6. Do the pinch test and adjust further if needed.

Forward Facing

1. Clip both buckle tongs in to the crotch buckle and clip the chest clip. Pull all the slack out of the hip area.

2. Pull the front harness adjuster to tighten the straps. 

3. Move the chest clip so that the top is even with the armpits. 

4. Do the pinch test!

Proper harnessing is key to keeping your child safe in a crash. Make sure the straps are at the correct level for their direction, tighten up those straps and keep the top of the chest clip even with the armpits! 

Combination or 3 in 1 Seats

Combination seats are sometimes called 3 in 1 seats. Unfortunately this can be very misleading to a lot of parents because they think it will be the only seat they'll need. Combination seats DO NOT rear face. The three modes of use in a combination seat are forward facing 5 point harness, high back booster and no back booster. Some people call these "harnessed boosters" as well. Since this seat can't rear face it is not appropriate for babies and young toddlers. A combination seat should be used from a minimum of age two but preferably closer to four. Children are much safer rear facing and should do so as long as possible.

A combination seat is #therightseat for your child if they are between 2 and 12 years old.

Combination seats fill a gap between outgrowing a convertible and being too young to booster. Not all children will need a combination seat. Some kids will fit in their convertible car seat until they are old enough and mature enough (minimum of age 5) to ride in a booster seat. Some kids find the larger dimensions of a combination seat more comfortable than a convertible seat. Like convertible seats there are several choices on the market. If you are looking for a narrow harnessed seat to fit three across, the Harmony Defender is your best bet. It's also a great pick for a budget seat as it is only around $100. If you need a seat with a high weight or height limit on the harness the Britax Frontier will harness until 90 lbs. In between these extremes, the Evenflo Transitions, the Graco Nautilus and the Britax Pioneer are all great choices that will harness your child until they are ready to move to the booster mode of the seat.

The harnessed mode of the combination seat is for children weighing about 25 lbs- 65 lbs and age 2-6 (depending on the seats specifications). There is only one belt path on a combination seat and you should always use the tether whether you install with lower anchors or the seat belt. The harness straps should always be above your child's shoulders.

One important thing to remember with older children in harnessed seats is that the lower anchors have weight limits. It varies by seat and car. A car seat made after 2014 will have the weight limit on the side label. If you are using an older seat, contact a CPST to help you determine what the weight limit on LATCH is for your seat and vehicle. After the lower anchor weight limit is reached, you reinstall the seat with the seat belt and the top tether. 

After your child has outgrown the harnessed mode for the seat you remove the harness, following the manufacturer's instructions in the manual and use the seat belt to secure your child. Make sure that you thread the shoulder belt through the belt guide on the seat and put both the shoulder and lap belt under the armrest. 

Finally, when your child outgrows the high back portion of the combination seat, remove the back and use just the no back portion of the booster. This should be used until your child passes the 5 Step Test and can use just the seat belt- usually between 10-12 years old.

To ride safely without a booster a child needs to pass the "5 Step Test":

• Lap belt fits low on the hips, not the abdomen
• Shoulder belt lays flat on the shoulder
• Butt all the way back and back flat against the seat back
• Knees bent at or beyond the edge of the seat, feet flat on the floor
• Child is mature enough to stay in position the entire trip, even when sleeping

I hope this helps you determine if a combination seat is #therightseat for your child. If you have any questions, as always, please comment or send me an email!

Convertibles (Car SEATS not cars!)

Convertible car seats are the workhorses of the car seat world. These seat are designed to be used rear facing and then, when outgrown in rear facing mode, turned around and used forward facing. Many (but not all) convertible seats are designed to be used from birth instead of an infant seat with a handle. Convertible seats typically can be used rear facing until 40 lbs or 40 inches tall but there are variants both ways. This is the size of an average 4 year old. When we say rear face to the limits of the seat we mean the limits of a convertible- not an infant seat- which are outgrown usually before 1 year. After the rear facing mode is outgrown, convertible seats are turned around and used forward facing until about 65 lbs.

A convertible can be #therightseat for your child from birth until booster age. 

There are a lot of convertible seats on the market. How do you know which one is the right one? First- there is no BEST seat. 

The BEST seat is one that:

1. Fits the child
2. Fits your vehicle
3. Fits your budget
4. You can install and use correctly 100% of the time

If you have a tall child, look for a seat with a high rear facing height limit. If you have a heavy child, look for the 50 lb rear facing weight limit. If you have a tiny car, look for a seat that is compact front to back. If you need to fit three seats across your back seat, look for the narrowest seat. Overwhelmed by the choices? Talk to a CPST! We have a lot of knowledge about choosing the right seat for your situation and we're always happy to help. One thing you should not rely on are online reviews by other customers (like on Amazon). I know, I use them for everything too. This is the one instance where I can definitively say they are worthless. Remember these statistics:

90% of seats are installed or used incorrectly

and

96% of parents believe their seat is installed and used correctly

So, when it comes to reviews, 90% of the people writing the review have no idea that they're doing it wrong. If you like to read online reviews of seats I recommend Car Seats For the Littles. They do amazing, in depth reviews and they are written by CPSTs so they are also accurate. They don't shy away from pointing out flaws either. They also have a list of recommended seats. That's not to say that if it's not on the recommended list, it's not a good or safe seat, it just may have some quirks that make it not as easy to use for a wide variety of situations. It's always a good place to start. 

After you've selected and purchased the right convertible seat for your child, vehicle and budget it's time to install. The first thing you should do is sit down and read the manual. I mean REALLY read it. Cover to cover, all the words. It's critical to understanding how to install and use your seat correctly. 

Installation of convertible seats is as varied as the number of seats on the market. Some basic install tips. 

• Use the right belt path- convertible seats have two belt paths- one for rear facing and one for forward facing. The belt paths are clearly labeled on the seat. Using the wrong one can be deadly in a crash. This video shows a seat properly installed on the right and installed with the belt through the incorrect belt path on the left. 

• Set the harness straps at the correct height

• Rear facing, the straps should be at or below the child's shoulders. In a crash, the child will be pushed back into the seat and ramp up the back of the seat. Having the harness below the shoulders prevents upward motion of the child.
• Forward facing, the straps should be at or above the child's shoulders. In a crash, the child will be thrown forward into the harness. Having the harness above the shoulders limits the forward motion of the child.

• Use the top tether! The top tether should be used regardless of whether you use the seat belt or the lower anchors for installation. It limits head excursion by 6-8"- which is huge. In studies, only 29% of parents used the top tether on a forward facing installation and of those who used it only 56% used it correctly. 

• Make sure everything is snug. Your seat should not move more than 1" side to side or front to back AT THE BELT PATH when given a firm shake. Do not test for movement at the top of the seat in a rear facing installation. It will always move there- it's designed to. Only check at the belt path. 

• Do the pinch test! You should not be able to pinch any excess harness webbing when your child is harnessed snugly enough. Make sure the top of the chest clip is level with their armpits. Having the harness too loose can cause your child to be ejected and killed in a crash. 

Having #therightseat is critical to the safety of your child in the car. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of convertible car seats. As always, if you have any questions, please comment or send me an email. 

All About Boosters!

Today I'm writing about some questions that all parents will eventually ask- "How do I know when my child is ready to move to a booster?" and "How do I know when my child no longer needs a booster?"

Your child should be in a harnessed seat until a minimum of age 5. The most important factor in deciding whether to use a harnessed seat or a booster is the maturity of the child. The seat belt can only do it's job if it is in position at the time of the crash. If your child is leaning over and poking their sibling or reaching down to get something of the floor when the crash happens, serious injuries will happen. They need to be able to sit still in the booster and not wiggle around. For most kids this will not happen until at least age five, more likely age 6 or 7.

Seat belts are designed to fit fully grown adults, not children. The purpose of a booster seat is to make the adult seat belt fit the child's body and position the belt across the strongest bones. Here is my 6.75 year old in her Graco Affix in my 2006 VW Beetle. She is 47" tall and 46 lbs.

This booster seat gives her optimal belt fit. You can see that the belt is low and nearly flat on her thighs and the shoulder belt goes across the center of her shoulder. This booster seat is called a High Back Booster because it has a back with a shoulder belt guide. The Graco Affix can also be used in No Back Booster mode by removing the back.

She has the same great lap belt fit in this mode but the shoulder belt lies too far on the edge of her shoulder. With this belt fit, she is at a greater risk of "roll out" in a crash, where the top half of her body could rotate and roll over the belt, allowing her to bend too far forward. Another common problem with no back boosters is when children fall asleep in them and are unable to maintain an upright position. The high back can help keep kids upright and in position. Ideally, a high back should be used until it is outgrown. 

There is a third option for booster seats. Combination seats start out with a harness and then, when they have been outgrown in harness mode, you take the harness out and use them as a booster. This is the Britax Frontier 85 in booster mode in our 2009 VW Jetta.

Combination seats can save you money in the long run because you can avoid buying a harnessed seat and then a dedicated booster later. They work just the same as a high back booster (some also become no back boosters as well). 

The next question- "How do I know when my child no longer needs a booster seat?" is harder for parents to determine. Let's look at what my daughter looks like without a booster seat. 

This is back in my Beetle with no booster seat. You can see how high the belt is on her abdomen. Children do not have the same bone density that adults do and their hips have not fully formed until puberty. When a belt is high on the abdomen like this, the belt will rip through the abdomen, crushing all of the organs against the spinal column. This can be fatal. You can also see that the belt is high up against her neck. This positioning makes it less likely that she will keep it in front of her body because it is irritating. Children tend to move irritating belts under their arm or behind their backs which can lead to a fatal injury known as seat belt syndrome when a body bisects in half in a crash because the upper body is not restrained. This is why lap only belts are not safe for anyone to ride in. 

To ride safely without a booster a child needs to pass the "5 Step Test":

1. Lap belt fits low on the hips, not the abdomen
2. Shoulder belt lays flat on the shoulder
3. Butt all the way back and back flat against the seat back
4. Knees bent at or beyond the edge of the seat, feet flat on the floor
5. Child is mature enough to stay in position the entire trip, even when sleeping

In Ohio, the legal requirements to ride without a booster are age 8 or 4'9" tall. The law is outdated and does not demonstrate best practice. Only 50% of children who are 4'9" will pass the 5 Step Test. Most kids will need boosters until somewhere between 10-12.

Take a minute today and check your child's belt fit. If you have any questions please leave a comment or send me a message!