Booster/car seat question?

littleangelfire81

Sounds like misguided good intentions. At only 4 years old, its great that they are keeping her in a 5 point harness seat. The BARE MINIMUM for booster use is 4 years and 40lbs, but experts urge parents to keep kids in a 5 point harness seat as long as possible, preferably to 5 or 6 years of age.

However, she is too big for her current 5 point harness seat. Forward facing car seats are outgrown when:
1)the shoulders go over the top harness slots
OR
2)the weight limit is reached - 40lbs on most seats
OR
3)the ears reach the top of the seat

Sounds like she's just barely too big for the seat by height, though if its a 40lbs seat she risks being thrown from it in an accident. When a child is too tall for the seat, they risk major head and neck injuries. The best thing would be for her to have another 5 point harness seat that would hold her longer. Best options:
Graco Nautilus $150 or less, harnesses to 65lbs with 19" top slot height, then converts to a great booster seat. Easy to use, easy to install, will be the last seat she needs
Cosco Apex65/Signature Biltmore $129 or less, not nearly as great a seat as the Nautilus for only $20 more b/c its flimsier, harder to use and install. Also, the car's headrests must go at least as high as the middle of the Apex65 headrest fully extended. This is b/c the Apex65 seatback has no support so requires support from the vehicle seat. Harnesses to 65lbs with 17" top slots (so won't last as long as Nuatilus, since the top slots are shorter) and makes an ok booster.
Britax Frontier $279, so a lot pricier, but becomes the tallest booster currently on the market, harnesses to 80lbs with 18.25" top slots, no rethread harness, great seat.

Whichever seat, even a booster seat, she needs something else now as she's outgrown the other. Do not put her in a no back booster, offers no protection at all.
WHY KEEP THEM HARNESSED:
Compare the following crash tests for your self and see the major difference a harness makes.
Forward facing harness vs. booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/frontcrash/recarostart.mpg
A lateral test (the third view in) of a harnessed seat: http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index.php?domain=oeamtc&videobox=Kindersitze_bis_18_kg_oder_4_Jahre&movie_kind=swf
A deep winged high back booster like a Parkway: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/seitencrash/concordliftpro.mpg
A shallow winged high back booster like the Turbobooster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/seitencrash/htsbesafe.mpg
And a no back booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest/videos/tests_2001/seitencrash/Baby_Sunny_touring_P3_vorne.mpg

VIEDOES OF KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DESPERATELY WISH THEY'D KEPT THEM HARNESSED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw
We also now know the spine is not solid until age 6.

So to sit in a booster and use just the seatbelt like an adult (basically a booster just fits the belt to the child,so it's essentially the same), they need to be able to not have the lapbelt cause those injuries, have the head proportionate like an adult, and have a solid spine like an adult. kids under age 5 have higher rates of head injury if they are riding in boosters than kids over age 5 (presumably because younger kids have heavier/larger heads in proportion to their bodies, so they fly forward farther or with greater force, thus incurring greater injury if/when they come in contact with vehicle interior or intrusion?).

runt

she ready for a booster seat to fasten her in better so in there was a accident she would be secure in the car-- she is to big for the seat she has now

JDPower.com

A Booster Seat is meant to protect a child weighing from 40 to 100 pounds. . Booster seats do not come with harness straps; instead, they use the lap and shoulder belts installed in the vehicle. For the booster seat to work properly, the child must fit the lap and shoulder belts; seat belts should be worn low over the hips with the shoulder strap placed across the collarbone.

Your neice should remain in a booster seat until she is large and heavy enough to properly wear three-point seat belts. Comprised of a lap belt and a shoulder harness, standard three-point restraints are designed for passengers at least 4â€™9â€ tall and weighing at least 80 pounds. Seat belts should be worn low over the hips with the shoulder strap placed across the collarbone.

For more information and details related to protection in a crash,
please visit these sites:

For more information on child seats, installations, and recalls, visit these informative sites:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): www.nhtsa.gov

American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: www.iihs.org

In addition, you may want to visit JDPower.com for car reviews, previews, photos, videos driving blogs, crash test results and videos, in addition to quality ratings.

true love

when i used a booster sseat it was above my head

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