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Kids are still not being properly buckled up in cars. That’s the message from the non-profit group Safe Kids Worldwide, which has released a new study, coinciding with National Child Passenger Safety Week. This puts them at risk of severe and even fatal injuries if there is an accident.
“For the most part, caregivers are attentive when it comes to always using car seats for babies and toddlers,” says Morag MacKay, the chief research and network officer for Safe Kids Worldwide. “But, our survey found that many do not have the same level of attentiveness when it comes to using booster seats.”
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Researchers found that 4 out of 5 parents moved their child out of a booster seat before they were big enough—and that 75% of parents are unaware that kids need to ride in boosters until they’re at least 4 foot 9 inches tall. The Ohio State University helped conduct the online survey of over 3,000 parents with children ages 4 to 10. The goal was to determine if parents know how important booster seat use is.
Why Should You Use a Booster Seat?
Booster seats help protect kids who have outgrown a car seat but are too small to be safely restrained by a seat belt. Previous research has found that using a booster seat can reduce the risk of injury by 45% compared to using a seat belt alone.
“Studies show that children cannot safely use a seat belt alone until they are at least 4-foot-9-inches tall,” says MacKay. “While in general, kids usually reach that height and are big enough to ride in a seat belt alone by the time they’re 10 or 11 years old, it is a little more complicated given how kids grow at different rates.”
How to Know If Your Child Still Needs a Booster Seat
MacKay recommends parents and caregivers do a Safety Belt Fit Test to see if their child is big enough to transition out of a booster seat and can be protected by a seat belt alone. She says the Safety Belt Fit Test checks various aspects of seat belt fit and includes the following steps:
- Check their knees. Your child’s knees should bend at the edge of the vehicle seat when their back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back. Not being able to sit this way means they should stay in a booster seat.
- Check their feet. Their feet should touch the floor for comfort and stability, says MacKay. “If this is not the case, they are still too small for a seat belt alone and should use a booster seat.”
- Check the lap belt. The vehicle lap belt must fit snugly across the hips or upper thighs.
- Check the shoulder belt. The shoulder belt must fit across the shoulder and chest, not across the face or neck, says MacKay. “Again, if either the lap belt or shoulder belt doesn’t fit, the child is still too small for a seat belt alone and should use a booster seat.”
When Can a Child Ride in the Front Seat?
According to MacKay, children do not belong in the front seat because of the risk posed by airbags. “Airbags are designed to protect adult bodies, not little ones. And because children are smaller and more fragile, the force of an airbag deployment can be deadly to children, and even teenagers, depending on their size.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends kids should never ride in the front seat of a car until they are 13 years old. And many states have laws that set age restrictions for young passengers, she says.
Common Mistakes Parents Make When Restraining Their Kids
Parents and caregivers don’t realize that little things like how the car seat or booster is installed and how harnessing their child in it can make a big impact in a car crash, says Gia Ramsey, an injury prevention and education outreach coordinator at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“We see common mistakes in all aspects of child passenger safety: the selection, direction, and installation of the car seat, as well as the harnessing of the child in the car seat,” she says. “[But,] I would say the two most common mistakes are probably loose car seat installations and loose harness straps. We also commonly see mistakes with straps positioned too low or too high and chest clips low on their bellies instead of at armpit level.”
While these common mistakes may seem minor, Ramsey says they could increase the risk of injury or death in a crash. “Children could have head, neck, or spinal cord injuries, damage to vital internal organs, or could even be ejected from their seats,” she says.
Ramsey recommends reading the car seat and vehicle owner manuals to ensure that your seat is installed properly and that your child’s harness is correct. She also suggests scheduling an appointment with a certified child passenger safety technician in your area.
Once your child has graduated to a booster seat in the car, make sure you don’t rush them into a seat belt too soon adds David Aguilar, senior injury prevention coordinator at Children’s Health in Texas.
“When you graduate a child to a different car seat or booster too soon, the child loses safety features and is exposed to greater risks and injuries,” Aguilar explains. “For example, a child using a harness will be safer than a child using a seatbelt during a car crash if they’re within the height and weight limit set by the car seat manufacturer.”
How to Deal With Peer Pressure Regarding Booster Seats
It’s not uncommon for kids to resist riding in a booster seat, especially if their friends are not using one. They may complain they feel like a baby; and some may even experience peer pressure, be bullied, or get teased if their peers see them getting in and out of a booster seat. But experts say you cannot let this deter you from keeping your child safe.
Once your child is old enough to ask to switch to a seatbelt, talk to them about the “why” behind staying in a booster longer suggests Michelle Jamison, community health program manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
You also may need to talk with other parents about booster seats, especially if you are carpooling. The Safe Kids survey found that 30% of caregivers who drive carpools admitted they do not always follow the rules, letting children ride without seat belts and without the car seat or booster seat they would normally use.
“Parents who are carpooling should…convey their strong feelings that every child needs to be safely restrained appropriately,” says MacKay. “Don’t hesitate to say that you are uncomfortable and unwilling to allow any child to ride in any vehicle without the safe restraints they need. Don’t be shy! Kids’ lives are at stake.”
How to Handle School Drop-Off With a Booster Seat
The survey also found that 51% of parents reported that their children’s school drop-off and pick-up policies require kids to enter and exit their vehicles quickly and without assistance. Meanwhile, 29% reported unbuckling before reaching the drop-off point or allowing their child to use a seat belt alone before they were ready to comply with drop-off policies.
But, experts like Aguilar say parents shouldn’t take these risks with their child’s safety. “Most parents relate distance to safety, however, 95% of injuries happen within five miles of the home. There is a misconception that if they’re just going down the street, they don’t have to have their child in a car seat or harnessed correctly. [Don’t] forfeit safety for convenience or a quicker drop-off.”
Instead, try doing a dry run so your child can practice getting in and out of the car. “Make it a fun exercise and at a time when there isn’t pressure. End it with a playdate at the park or something positive,” suggests Jamison.
Also, teach your child how to buckle and unbuckle themselves. “We want the seat belt over bones, strong points of the body to help the seat belt function as intended,” Jamison adds. “If they put the seat belt over their soft stomachs, they risk internal injuries. Those injuries are hard to fix!”