The Right Seat

On her 6th birthday, my granddaughter Morgan told me that she no longer has to be in a car seat. When I asked why, she informed me that it’s the law!

She is correct. At this time California Law is not consistent with safest practices.

Booster seats are recommended for children until they are 4 feet 9 inches (usually 8-12 years of age). Booster seats are 59% effective compared to seat belts in reducing injury in a car crash. The risk of abdominal, head and neck injuries and spine injuries is reduced for children traveling in a belt-positioning booster seat compared to a seat belt. In side impact crashes there is a 70% reduction in injury for high back booster seats compared to seat belts. This benefit was not seen for low back booster seats.

So here is the message: keep kids safe by keeping them in car seats until they are about 4 feet 9 inches seat belts. So, Morgan, stay in your car seat (booster seat.)

With funding from the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, the California Chapter 4 American Academy of Pediatrics has a new car seat guide that can be downloaded from our Materials section. These are being distributed to pediatricians in Orange County.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Placing children in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.

The goal of National Child Passenger Safety Week is to bring public attention to the importance of safely transporting children.