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RoadSmart Report | July, 2003
Booster seats are best for small children
SGI’s annual child safety seat campaign is in full swing,
with free clinics all over the province. Trained volunteers offer
assistance in properly installing a child safety seat in a vehicle,
ensuring the child is in the seat safely and securely, that it fits
the vehicle and that the seat is the right one for the child's size.
One question that often comes up is what to do with a child that
has outgrown their car seat but isn’t quite big enough for
a regular seat belt.
"When children grow out of forward-facing child restraints,
they need to be put in booster seats. And they should stay in the
booster seat until they are big enough to fit properly in an adult
seat belt," says Shannon Ell, SGI's Supervisor of Traffic Safety
Promotion.
Generally, children who weigh over 18 kg (40 lbs.) are the proper
weight for booster seats, but parents should check the manufacturer's
instructions to ensure the seat is appropriate for the child's size.
What should parents consider when shopping for a booster seat?
Ell says before going shopping, look at what kind of seat belts
you have in the back of your vehicle.
Ell advises that if shoulder belts are present, booster seats
with a high back will offer better neck and head support. Booster
seats with high backs cannot be used when a lap belt is the only
option. If there is only a lap belt, a shield booster or booster
cushion works best.
Children under 12 years old are safest in the back seat and should
never be placed in seats with an air bag. Children sitting too close
to a deploying air bag can be seriously, even fatally, injured.
The middle of the back seat is the safest place for children to
be placed in a vehicle. However, a booster seat with a high back
should only be placed in the middle of the back seat if there is
a lap/shoulder belt in that position.
Once children reach 27 kg (60 lbs.), an adult seat belt may be
the best fit, according to Ell. The proper fit can be determined
by checking the following factors:
- The shoulder belt should cross the chest and the collar bone.
- The lap portion of the belt should cross the hip bones and
upper thighs snugly and be across the abdomen.
- The child’s legs should bend comfortably at the edge
of the seat with the child’s back against the vehicle seat
back.
- Make sure the child sits all the way back and stays properly
seated.
To find out if there’s an upcoming child safety seat clinic
in your area, visit the SGI web site at www.sgi.sk.ca
or call the SGI Customer Service Centre at 1-800-667-9868.
Contact:
Shannon Ell
Supervisor, Traffic Safety Promotion
SGI
Regina
(306) 775-6179
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