New Booster Seat Law in Michigan December 23, 2009
Did you know that there is now a new Booster Law effective July 1, 2008? The law requires all children under the age of 8 or shorter than 4’9” must ride in a properly installed booster seat. But does your child need a booster seat? According to recent research, young children who are placed in vehicle belts rather than booster seats are 59% more likely to suffer devastating injuries, including severe damage to the brain, liver, spleen, and spinal cord. Most children need to use a booster seat from about age four until at least age 8-10 for maximum protection and improved comfort in the car.
This could be particularly relevant to you if you have a child of this age. Also the statistics which reveal the number of child casualties related to motor vehicle crashes is alarming. While accidental injury is the number one cause of death among children who are 14 and below in the US, each year one out of every four children is admitted to emergency rooms for the treatment of accidental injury.
In case your child is not using a booster seat, you could do this simple 5-step test the next time you travel with your child. Usually kids need to ride in a booster seat from the age of 4 and they continue to use it till they reach at least 8 or 10 years of age. After doing this 5-step test, chances are that you would find that your child is not yet ready to use a safety belt without a booster.
1. Can your child sit all the way back against the car seat?
2. Do his knees bend at the edge of the car seat?
3. Does the belt cross his shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child sit comfortably in this position?
In case you find that you are saying NO to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat. For providing him the best protection, make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right. This way your child would be comfortable too. Another way to protect your child is to place him in the back seat till he reaches 15 years of age. Recent research shows that this is the safest place in the car for children of all ages.
Some parents are eager to make their children use safety belts as soon as they reach 5 years of age. This is wrong. For children who have outgrown a safety seat with a harness, a booster seat is needed to keep the lap belt on the upper thighs and the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest.
Another problem faced by parents is when their older model cars have only lap belts in the back seat. The point to remember here is never to use a booster with only a lap belt.
The next important thing to remember regarding booster seats is that none of the boosters with shields pass the current federal safety standards for children over 40 pounds. Devices for proper positioning of the belt like clips or fabric sleeves which connect the shoulder and lap portions of the belt are not needed to meet federal safety standards. According to tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that they reduced the efficacy of the shoulder belt and also tend to pull the lap portion of the belt up on the stomach area.
Remember booster seats give unparallel protection to your child if used according to instructions. Learn as much as possible about booster seat installation and use so that you can provide maximum protection to your child when he needs it most.
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