Once your child outgrows their car seat, it's time to move up to a booster seat. They work and save lives, if they're used correctly. Research shows a child secured in a booster seat is almost 45-percent less likely to get hurt in a crash than kids who are just buckled in without one. No matter which one you choose, it won't work like it is intended to, unless you check to make sure it fits the right way.
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, crash tested, then measured 60 child booster seats. They used a test dummy to mimic a six year old child. The purpose of the booster is to give growing kids the proper fit of the seat belt. Specifically, the lap belt.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD/Pediatrician
It's not a belt like to hold up your pants, it is a strap that goes across your thighs to keep you from going forward. It mechanically holds you in place so your whole body doesn't go forward and hit anything in front of you.

The important factor is to get that lap belt in place. Because if you don't, the consequences can be disastrous.


Dr. Joe Matusic, MD/Pediatrician
If you have it at your waist there's nothing solid for it to hold you. It's literally going to rip through your aorta, your guts, your intestines. It could rupture those and cut those and you don't even have a bruise on your skin. you can cut through and bleed to death in 30 seconds to a minute.
Make sure it goes at or below the level of the hips. If you're sitting there you can literally fell the sharp hip bone, on the side it should go below that.

Also, look at the shoulder strap. It should run squarely over the middle of the child's shoulder to prevent neck injuries. So, the next time you're in the car with your kids, look back and double check to make sure their seat belt hits at the right spots.
Also important to note, that price hasn't been shown to be a factor in how well a booster seat will work. So you don't have to spend a lot in order to have peace of mind. Many that the study found to be very good, are priced around $20. You can see how your booster seat stacks up at various websites including, www.iihs.org.

How To Contact WCHS-TV8 | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | DMCA Policy | Frequently Asked Questions

Home | Eyewitness News Newsroom | Storm Team Weather | Eyewitness Sports | Schedules | Programs

---

Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.

Copyright ©2012, WCHS-TV8. Portions are
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.