children and car seats?

Question

i am trying to figure out how old before a child no longer needs a car seat and or booster seat

Answer 1

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

Your child is ready to use lap and shoulder seat belts when the belts fit properly.

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 thighs, not the stomach.
- The child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip.

Remember, seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belts fit him correctly. This is usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age.

You also need to determine what the law is where you live and/or travel. There is a comprehensive list of state laws at www.inventiveparent.com.

Answer 2

"Legally" a child can travel without a car seat whenever your state law says he can. But most of the states are severely lacking in the safety department when it comes to writing the laws that protect our kids. From a safety standpoint, a child should remain in a full harnessed car seat until they outgrow it by height (shoulders above the top slots) or weight (most standard seats only go to 40#) After they outgrow their harnessed seat, they should move to a belt positioning booster seat. Most kids are not ready for a booster seat until they are around 4 years old, so if you have a large 2 year old, you may have to buy another harnessed seat that can accomodate higher weights and/or heights. A child should use a booster seat until they can use an adult seatbelt properly. To fit properly, they must pass the five step test.
1) They can sit up straight against the vehicle seatback without slouching
2) Their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat
3) The lap belt sits low on their hips or upper thighs, not over their stomach
4) The shoulder belt crosses the center of their collarbone, comfortably away from their neck
5) They can stay this way for the entire trip

They must meet all 5 criteria to sit in a seatbelt without a booster. Never allow them to sit in a lap belt only position or put the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm. Most kids meet the 5 step test at around 8 years old or 4'9" tall, but it depends on the vehicle they ride in so you should test your child in each one to determine the need for a booster. Some kids need them til they are 9-10 years. Weight is not a determining factor in booster vs seatbelt.

Answer 3

It's recommended that kids use a booster seat until the age of 8, or weight of 60 pounds. You'll also find that people will make fun of you for having your 7 year old in a car seat; even my daycare director made fun of me. And the kids will balk at sitting in one after a certain point. But my son survived a t-bone collision at 55 miles an hour, with only a small bruise on his chest from the harness, all thanks to a supportive "older kid" car seat.

Answer 4

A child is supposed to be in a car seat until age 4. I think they need to stay in a booster seat til maybe 6 or 7. At least until they are tall enough that the seat belt doesn't cut across their neck.

Answer 5

There are normally local laws that will tell you what they require. Generally they should be in a car seat or booster seat until they are able to properly wear a seat belt. It depends a good bit on height and weight to ensure the belt sits properly, so there is no real definate age unless the law says so.

Answer 6

In Pa the child needs to weigh 30 lbs before they can sit in a booster seat. I think its 45 lbs before they do not need any car seat or booster seat.

Answer 7

It varies from state to state. In California the child has to weigh 65 pounds and be six years old. Check with your state DMV office or get a driving manual for your state. I have heard that for safety reasons, children should not be in the middle of the back seat or in the front seat at all.

Answer 8

A Baby seat is needed until the baby reaches 40 pounds; after that, a booster seat is needed until the baby is either 4'9 or 80 pounds.

Answer 9

Here in Michigan they must be in a car seat or booster seat until they reach 80 lbs!

Answer 10

There are different laws depending on where you live. In Tennessee a child actually requires a booster seat until they weigh 90 lbs. Check with your state government.