Can a 4 year old sit in a booster seat

Overview

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children in the United States.

Does my 8 year old need a booster seat

Many deaths and injuries can be prevented with the proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts appropriate for a child's age and size.

Research shows that proper restraint use decreases as children get older. Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% when compared with seat belt use alone.

Booster seats are an important stage of child passenger safety.

They elevate and position a child so that the seat belt's lap and shoulder belts fit properly. Proper seat belt fit occurs when the lap belt is across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and when the shoulder belt is across the center of the shoulder and chest (not across the neck or face, and not off the shoulder).

This usually occurs when children are between 9 and 12 years old.

Research shows the most effective strategy to increase booster seat use is through updating, implementing, and enforcing state child restraint laws with booster seat provisions—commonly known as

when to use a booster seat

when should you install a car seat