Booster and Seat Belt Safety

Booster and Seat Belt Safety

Booster Seats

Booster seats are seats that help children stay safe in cars. Booster seats lift children up so seat belts lie across the strong bones of the chest.  Make sure the seat belt is away from the child's neck or stomach, where it could do serious internal damage in a crash. 

Children can stop using a booster seat when:

  • They are big enough to use the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts while sitting with their back against the vehicle's seat back with their knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching. 
  • The lap belt rests low, on top of the thighs, and the shoulder belt lies comfortably across the middle of the chest. 
  • The child can comfortably stay in this position for the entire ride. This usually happens when a child reaches a height of 4 ft. 9 in. and is between 8-12 years old. 

Seat Belt Safety

Never put the shoulder strap of the seat belt behind a child's back or under their arm. Never buckle more than one child or person in one seat belt, as their heads could collide in a crash. 

All children under 13 years of age should always ride in the back seat. If you must place a child under the age of 13 in the front passenger seat, make sure to disable the airbag function, if your vehicle allows. If your vehicle does not allow you to disable the airbag function, push the passenger seat as far back as your vehicle allows.