THE 5-STEP TEST FOR BOOSTER SEAT USE : SAFETYBELTSAFE U.S.A. LAUNCHES BOOSTER SEAT PROGRAM

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., a non-profit organization, has designed a five-step test that parents can use to determine if their child needs a booster seat or can wear a standard restraint safely. A practitioner explains how to ask the questions of a child as he sits in the seat of his family car and then have him compare his answers while in a booster seat. The child must sit all the way back against the seat, with knees bending comfortably at the edge. The belt must cross the shoulder between neck and arm, and the lap belt must be as low as possible. The child must be comfortable enough in this position to hold it the entire trip. The average child is now taking more than 1,000 car trips a year. As few as 20% of children between 4 and 9 may be properly restrained once they outgrow car seats. Combination of lax laws, peer pressure to "graduate" to regular seats and limited options for booster seats contribute to the problem. States are starting to require booster seats for older children up to 60 pounds. Among them are Arkansas, California, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, South Carolina and Washington.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410721
• Supplemental Notes:
  • January/February 2002
• Corporate Authors:

  National Safety Council

  1121 Spring Lake Drive
  Itasca, IL  United States  60143
• Authors:
  • Dewey-Kollen, J
• Publication Date: 2002-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 16-17
• Serial:
  • Traffic Safety (Chicago)
  • Volume: 02
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: National Safety Council
  • ISSN: 0041-0721

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Booster seats; Child restraint systems; Internal injuries; Safety campaigns; Seat belts
• Identifier Terms: Safetybeltsafe U.S.A.
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00824443
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 28 2002 12:00AM