A Car Seat Safety Guide – Part IV (Older Children)

OLDER CHILDREN – SEAT BELTS

Seat belts are made for adults. Your child should stay in a booster seat until adult seat belts fit correctly (usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age). This means:

• The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
• The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly.
• Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip.

Other points to keep in mind when using seat belts include:

• Make sure your child does not tuck the shoulder belt under her arm or behind her back. This leaves the upper body unprotected, putting your child at risk of severe injury in a crash or with sudden braking.
• Never allow anyone to “share” seat belts. All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts.

When it comes to child safety there are not enough precautions we can take, so make sure you follow all this guidelines and you will not regret it, if god forbids, an accident happens.

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