The Effectiveness of Adult Safety Belt Systems for Child Occupants: What Is the Role of the Booster Seat?

There have been many published studies over the past few years regarding the use of belt positioning booster seats [1–4]. A recurring conclusion of these studies is that when it comes to protecting child motor vehicle occupants 4–8 years old, buckling them up in adult restraint systems is not enough. These studies also recommend that children should be restrained with safety systems that correspond with their stage of development and should progress through a series of age appropriate restraints such as child safety seats and belt positioning booster seats before moving on to adult restraint systems. Despite these recommendations, an overwhelming number of 4–8 year olds graduate to adult seat belts before they “properly fit”. It has been shown that correct safety belt fit is not usually achieved with adult lap/shoulder belt systems until children are about 4 feet 9 inches tall and weigh roughly 80 pounds [5]. For most children, this will not occur until they are about 9 years old.