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| Race in his Britax StarRiser/Comfy booster. |
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| Race is 8 1/2 y/o, 4'6" tall & weighs about 60 lbs. |
These pictures compare the fit of the seat belt in a booster and when used
alone. As you can see, the seat belt fits Race better when he uses his booster. Eventhough, he may seem old enough and
tall enough for the seat belt alone the lap belt still rides a bit too high on his abdomen and the shoulder belt still crosses
his neck. I would guess Race has about two more inches of torso growth needed before the lap belt will fit low
enough to suit me. This particular booster has a height adjustable back. In this picture Race has one more notch the
back can be moved up. The width of the seat is also adjustable. It is at it's widest setting. As of 6-13-03 Race still
needs a booster in all vehicles he rides in. He is 68 lbs and 4'7". Race will be 10 in July. He now uses the SR/C in
the top notch in my car and an Evenflo Right Fit in his dad's car with a properly fitted head rest.
Please note that not all boosters are created equal. Some do not keep the
lap belt as low as the StarRiser/Comfy. Many are not as tall. Kids need head support from the top of the ears down. If your
vehicle offers head protection then a backless booster may be used. The SR/C is one of the taller boosters made. I also
like how the shoulder belt guide is behind the shoulder (rather than beside) and the open guide allows the shoulder belt to
slide freely through it. There are currently (as of 6-13-03) a few other tall boosters available. There's the Graco
Turbo, Jupiter Komfort Kruiser, and the Britax BodyGuard. Good backless boosters include the Britax StarRiser, Cosco High
Rise, Evenflo Right Fit, and the Graco Turbo (backless version). Other high back boosters may work well for a young
child, but will be outgrown in height before the child is ready for a seat belt alone. When looking for a booster opt
for one with "arms" or deep cut-outs to hold the lap belt low on the hips/high on the thighs. The seat belt should fit
the child properly when a booster is used. Not all boosters do this. I've personally had a difficult time getting the
lap belt to stay low when using some high back boosters and others have had difficulty with some backless boosters
causing the lap belt to be too low. Always check for proper fit!
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| Race in the seat belt alone in a 98 Suzuki Esteem. |
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| At his age and size the seat belt still does not fit properly. |
Please don't be fooled into thinking your state laws protect your child.
Nearly all states do NOT have laws that protect a child until they are ready for the seat belt alone. Car
crashes are the number one killer of our nation's children. Make sure your child is protected to the best of your ability.
Most kids will need a booster for proper seat belt fit until about 4 feet 9 inches. To see if your child needs a booster
take the 5-Step Test below. One last note, it is possible for a child to fit the seat belt in one vehicle and not in
another. Always use the 5-Step test to see if your child fits the seat belt properly in every vehicle.
For more information on boosters, car seats, and their use check out http://www.carseat.org, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/, http://www.cpsafety.com, http://www.aap.org, http://www.safekids.org, http://www.car-seat.org, and, as always, you're welcome to come by the car seat board anytime,
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcarseats. You can also email me at racerx93@earthlink.net . The information on this page is for informational purposes only. It
is the viewer's responsiblity to use boosters, car seats, seat belts, etc correctly. I'd like to apologize for the poor quality
of these pictures. My digital camera was free, so it is not the best.
Please see the 5 Step Test below to determine if your child
needs a booster. This 5 Step Test can be printed at http://www.carseat.org.
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