Children four to eight years old are 45% less likely to be injured in car accidents if they ride in booster seats than if they wear a seat belt alone, but the ages of fatalities in this organization have increased in recent years.
However, there is some smart news. Almost all of the new booster seats in a recent evaluation did a smart job of offering a child-friendly smart belt, which can help them in the event of an accident.
Those are the highlights of the new protection ratings announced Wednesday through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit funded through the insurance industry.
“Booster seats are simple, low-tech devices that don’t need to be very expensive to be effective,” Jessica Jermakian, vice president of vehicle studies at the Insurance Institute, said in a news release. “A booster seat simply raises the child a little bit and guides the seat belt into position. The lap belt should lie flat on the upper thighs and not opposite the stomach, and the foot belt should fit snugly over the middle of the foot.
The Insurance Institute said it introduced its booster pricing program in 2008 after discovering that many seats always offered smart compatibility for lap and shoulder seat belts and that there were no position requirements to control seat belt fit.
Initially, only a quarter of those tested earned the highest designation. Currently, most of the tested models met this standard. Recent evaluations found that 47 of the 54 booster seats brought in last year earned the safety organization’s highest score for seat belt adjustability.
Vehicle seat belts are designed for adults, but booster seats, designed for children who outgrow harness-equipped car seats, are protective equipment. The researchers emphasized that age- and size-appropriate restraints are “the most productive way for parents and guardians to optimize the protection of their children in vehicles. “
After testing, the thrusters were classified into 4 categories.
Almost all have earned the Institute’s BEST BET rating, meaning a booster seat provides a smart core and a shoulder belt is compatible with typical children ages 4 to 8 in almost any car, minivan or SUV.
One earned a GOOD BET designation for providing acceptable belt fit in most vehicles.
Six were evaluated as Check Fit for different outcomes, based on the child’s length and vehicle model, and none scored the lowest Not Recommended score for failing to provide a smart belt, having compatibility and being avoided, the researchers said. Currently, there are no booster seats on the market with this designation.
(Some models have been double rated and can be used in high back or backless mode. )
Children should ride in boosters until a vehicle seat belt fits correctly by itself, and for some kids, that doesn’t happen until about age 12. But choosing an appropriate booster that is a good fit for your child is only the first step, researchers said. “Using it on every trip is the next. Many parents stop using boosters for their children too early. Others don’t use them all the time because they’re inconvenient to carry along for taxi or ride-hailing trips, for example, and can make it crowded for three kids in the back seat.”
Access to quality smart boosters remains a factor for many families, the researchers said, but they added that some rated BEST BET start at only about $25, and several features can be had for less than $40.
For more data on the research and to see the express models evaluated, click here.