Booster Seats Until 57 (Inches, That Is)
In my home state, legislation was just passed that mandates booster seats for all children less than 8 years old (or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches). I have to tell you, not every one is happy about this. "It's more evidence of the Nanny State - the government telling us how to raise our kids," some have objected.
I am not unsympathetic to this kind of libertarian view when it comes to adults. After all (although I don't subscribe to the view), why should the government force me to wear a seat belt if no one else is hurt but me? Don't I have the right to get my own fool self killed unnecessarily if I so choose? Hey, next the Nanny State will fine me for not wearing sunscreen because I might get skin cancer.
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But - vive la difference - the rights of kids and the rights of adults are not equivalent.
As the laws concerning kids have frequently (and wisely) reiterated: Adults may have the legal right to make martyrs of themselves, but they don't have the right to make martyrs of their kids. That's why, for example, courts order life-saving blood transfusions for kids whose parents object on religious or other grounds.
I'm 100% supportive of the government taking this on as a way to keep kids safe. Of all your priorities in raising your kids, ensuring they survive their childhood (and your parenthood) must be at the top. I'm not trying to be funny here. I can't tell you how many parents I know who obsess about the color of their children's poop, but leave them improperly restrained in the car.
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Here's why appropriate car restraints are the number one way for you to safeguard your child's well-being:
- Nothing - repeat nothing - is more likely to cause your child to die than a motor vehicle accident.
- Properly used car restraints cut the chance of death in an accident by 60%.
- Improperly fitting seat belts (most commonly seen at age 4-8 years) greatly increase the risk of intra-abdominal, spinal cord and vertebral injuries during an accident. The reason is that the seat belts tend to ride on the belly and not the hips (booster seats correct this). In case of an accident, serious injury to the abdominal organs or spine is more likely to occur. **
- Booster seats improve the chances of survival over seat belts alone by 28% ***
- States with expanded booster seat laws see a 39% rise in the appropriate restraint of a child ****
If they object, tough. They're kids and our #1 priority is to keep them safe, whether they like it or not. In my book, a parental job well done is for them to live long enough to some day complain to their shrinks about how overprotective you were.
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* For more info on how to use car restraints with your kids:
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
** For the story on seat belt injuries:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809172130.htm
*** "Effectiveness of child safety seats vs seat belts in reducing risk from death in passenger vehicle crashes." Elliott et al. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2006
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/6/617
**** "Effect of booster seat laws on appropriate restraint use by children 4-7 years old involved in crashes". Winston, et al Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2006
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/161/3/270
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
** For the story on seat belt injuries:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809172130.htm
*** "Effectiveness of child safety seats vs seat belts in reducing risk from death in passenger vehicle crashes." Elliott et al. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2006
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/6/617
**** "Effect of booster seat laws on appropriate restraint use by children 4-7 years old involved in crashes". Winston, et al Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2006
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/161/3/270
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Technorati Tags: car seats, child safety, booster seats, pediatrics
13 Comments:
I completely agree with Dr. P. I plan on being as 'overprotective' as I can be for as long as I can.
I also completely agree with this, as a mother of a very defiente 3 year old, I know how hard it can be to get you child/children to listent o you and stay in their seats, some people would say I'm over protective, some would say not so much, I ensure my sons safety first and foremost above all less, and if my son lets himself out of his seat, (which he is too smart and can do all too well) I pull over, stop the car and put him right back in the seat and if he continues this action I just seat there and let him cry and once he has calmed down and is ready to listen to me and stay in his seat and stay straped in then and only then will I continue my trip, I have been late to work many times because of this, but I do not care, if my boss can not understand my sons safety comes first then I don't need the job and I'll find another one, however, I've been lucky my boss is very understanding as she has 4 children, two of which are twins, God bless her.
I go nuts when I see kids unrestrained in the back seat of their car. Those parent's drivers license should be revoked! How dumb can you be.
I've found Consumer Reports to be very helpful in figuring out the best car safety restraints to buy.
Dr. Parker does the law in your state mean if a child is not 57" tall by 8 years old, they still need a booster seat?
This is where I have a problem with these laws. I cannot see making a 12 or 13 year old use a booster seat because they are not yet 57" tall or making them take a booster seat whenever they are riding with a friend. And what happens if you are asked to give a child a ride home after a school event and that child is under the height requirement? Do you have to start carrying a booster seat just in case your kids have short friends?
These laws have great intentions and they do prevent serious internal injuries, but they are also impractical if the height requirement is still in effect after the child reaches 8 and forcing a middle school age child to use a booster seat in front of friends would be humiliating.
I also don't understand why we don't do more to make the automotive industry address the issue of mal-fitting seatbelts on people shorter than 5'5". I am only 5'1" tall and I find it very hard to wear backseat seatbelts because they are not adjustable. The shoulder harness does not fit right and I end up putting it behind my back. I also have that problem still when driving trucks even though I can adjust the shoulder harness.
So instead of passing laws to force parents to buy booster seats for child safety, why don't we find a way to make the seatbelts adjustable to fit comfortably on more than the average height person.
That it complete BS!!! For Chrissake why don't they force us to put our kids in plastic bubbles while they're at it?
I keep 3 booster seats in my car for my kids' friends.
I don't care if they think they look like dorks, I give them no choice (often to my own kids' embarassment!).
I completely agree with Dr. P. I don't care if my child was 12 or 13 and not yet 57" tall. They would be in a booster and when they ask why " because I and the law says so!" If they are embarrased, oh well...they'll get over it. My child's safety comes before my own. I will go without a seatbelt before my child or anyone else's.
The next question is: Is it 8 years old or 4'9'' because I've never seen a 4'9'', 8 year old??? And if you have to be 4'9'' that would mean that anyone vertically challenged would have to use a booster seat no matter what their age. Where does this end? Maybe this was a miss print and they meant 49 inches?
I agree that it sucks people trying to tell us how to raise our kids, but when it comes to the safety of our kids the parents just need to get over it b/c then it shouldn't be the issue of people telling us how to raise our kids, but issue of safety and parents should be thankful that others are concerned instead of focusing on the negative.
any suggestions on how to keep a 3 year old in any form of car seat. my granddaughter takes every form off car seat restraint i have tried off repeatedly.
I FIRMLY believe in proper child restraint (I have three pre-schoolers), and I'm anal about the carseats. But where does the line stop? Age 18? My mom is 65 years old and is just barely 58" tall. If she shrinks any more (osteoporosis), does this mean she'll have to have a booster seat when driving/riding in this unspecified state? If so, she won't be able to reach the gas pedals. I'm only 60" tall at age 40 and my poor kids don't have much hope for being much taller than me for a long time. I'm curious to know in which state this law exists. I'd like to read more about it. I agree, too, that I'd like to see the automobile and seatbelt industry take a more proactive approach to making seatbelts more adjustable for the variety of driver/passenger sizes.
I'm only an inch over the height requirement and I am 19. If you put me in a booster seat, I will not be able to reach the pedals. Of course I care about children safety, but it should not be done so strictly by the government.
However, they are correct, even at 4'10" the seatbelt does not fit me properly.
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