Booster Seats

Geanna - posted on 09/29/2010

got this off of the NYS DMV Brochure website... hope it helps. Every child under age 16 in the vehicle must use a safety restraint. If under age four, he or she must be properly secured in a federally-approved child safety seat that is attached to a vehicle by a safety belt or universal child restraint anchorage (LATCH) system. A child under age four who weighs more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. A child of age 4, 5, 6 or 7, must use a booster seat with lap and shoulder belt or a child safety seat (The child and safety restraint system must meet the height and weight recommendations of the restraint manufacturer.)

Exception: A child more than four feet nine inches tall or more than 100 pounds is allowed to use a seat belt that has both a lap belt and a shoulder harness. To use the seat belt, the child must be able to sit straight up against the vehicle's seat back with his or her knees bent comfortably over the edge of the seat. The lap belt should be placed low and tight across the upper thighs; the shoulder belt should rest tightly but comfortably across the child's chest and shoulder (collar bone) without touching the throat. If the seat belt does not fit properly, the child should use a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt.

A booster seat can be used only with a lap and shoulder belt together. If all the combination lap and shoulder belt positions in the vehicle are already occupied by children using child safety seats or booster seats, a child who ordinarily would use a booster seat should be restrained using only the lap belt.

An appropriate child safety restraint system:

•Is required for all children until their 8th birthday and,
•Must meet the size and weight requirements for the child based on the Federal requirements and the recommendations of the manufacturer, and
•Can be a child safety seat, a harness, a vest or a booster seat attached with the vehicle seat belt or latch system, but not the vehicle seat belt alone, and
•Should not be used in the front seat of the vehicle.
If the child is eight years old and is under 4'9" tall or weighs less than 100 lbs, it is recommended that you continue to use a child restraint system.

Lisa - posted on 09/29/2010

it is not a 5 point bootser seat, she wont need that. it is a high back booster seat, with the seatbelt clip so the seatbelt wont cut across her neck. she will 4 sept 30 and is 30lbs., all booster we have looked at in stores and online state 30lbs-100lbs. so she can be in it for a good long time. when she turns 8 she will no longer need a booster seat...unless of course they change laws again but we are going to be buying her a booster seat. she sits very well in one. and she can bend her legs in one, and she knows she cant some out from under the seatbelt, and she also knows she can not unlock the seatbelt. my nephew has been in a booster seat since he was 3. he is now 5, and has never disobeyed anyone while using his boster we are going to trade the car seat in at babies r us, and receive 25% off of our booster seat purchase

Geanna - posted on 09/29/2010

Im pretty sure the law in Colo is 4 and 40 lbs for a booster. My sons car seat is both a rear and front facing and it goes up to 100 lbs. Hes gonna stay in it until hes too big for it. Right now he is 2 and he weighs 32 lbs.

Chris - posted on 09/27/2010

That's just plain stupid to put an 18 month old in a booster seat. Children should not control their parents. If you love your child you would have him in a 5 point harness as long as possible.. You can never be too save that way. It is never a good idea to play games with your child's life.

Fil - posted on 09/25/2010

Hi Lisa,

If the starting weight is 30 lbs, does it have a 5-point harness system? Also, does it convert to a shoulder-strap booster later?

The one I have here for my youngest is a 5-point harness system from 20 to 40 lbs, which converts to the shoulder-strap booster from 40-100 lbs...

If it has the 5-point harness, I'd not worry too much about the half pound difference.

If it doesn't, I'd have to think long and hard about it. If your daughter is 29.5 lbs at 4 years old, I'd have to venture a guess that she's "slender" at the least (this guess is assuming her height is average), so I'm not sure that I would be comfortable putting her in a booster seat that relies completely on the shoulder strap... My thought is that it wouldn't really hold her very securely in the event of an accident...

I guess you'd have to see her build to really know for sure...

Teresa - posted on 09/24/2010

Wow! No need to go off on me. I was simply stating the information that I've been given by several experts just to say that I didn't pull the information out of no where. I'm glad your daughter was fine.

Lisa - posted on 09/24/2010

i dont care about the experts. i am telling you from MY OWN expiriences. my daughter is fine with her bulky winter coat on. i have never had issues with her carseat straps not fitting right or having anything happen with her while in her carseat. we rolled our car when she was 1, in the middled of winter, and she was FINE wearing her bulky coat and being strapped. not a scratch on her, nor did she get fall out of the carseat she strapped in properl;y. in fact we were told if she would have a thinner coat on she would have been seriously hurt. the padding from the bulkier coat kept her from getting hurt. so think whatever the hell you want. but i know my daughter is safe wearing her big bulky winter coat.

Teresa - posted on 09/24/2010

Fine. But I am on a board w/ several car seat tech experts and they will all say the same things that I've mentioned on every car seat/booster seat post..... I don't care if you want to disagree w/ the experts. That is your choice.

Lisa - posted on 09/24/2010

sorry i disagree. my daughter's winter coat was very thick last yr due it being so cold out. she fit fine in her seat with the coat on and we even had her seat checked a few times over the winter. as long you can slip two finger between her and the straps she is fine. she couldnt move in her seat with her coat on and the straps tightned.

Teresa - posted on 09/24/2010

Um... IN the car isn't out in the cold. You put the coat on/off at/in the car. A thin coat wouldn't be a problem, but a thick winter coat IS.. regardless of how safe you think they are in it like that. Sorry, it's a fact.

Christan - posted on 09/24/2010

Honestly, it is ultimately the parents judgement whether or not you feel comfortable with it. If the seat says 30 lbs then they can sit in it at 30 lbs. All states are different. But if your child qualifies then it is what you feel safe with. My son started in a booster seat at 3 cause he was too big for his carseat. I was nervous but he knows the rules and he respects them. Good luck

Lisa - posted on 09/24/2010

if you get pulled over and have a child under the age of 4 in a booster seat in nys, they can take your child away right there on the spot. my daughter wore a coat all the time in her carsaeat during the winter. the straps were tight enough that you could just barely slip 2 fingers between her and the straps in buffalo you cant hgave your kid out int the cold without a coat, someone will report your butt!!!!

Teresa - posted on 09/23/2010

Oh, and 18 MONTHS in a booster seat?! Tannele, I don't know where you live, but not only is that completely unsafe... but I'm pretty sure that it's illegal in at least MANY of the countries.. if not all of them. Most certainly is illegal in the US.

Teresa - posted on 09/23/2010

Hillary, they aren't supposed to be wearing a coat while IN the carseat. That is extremely dangerous as the straps can not get tight enough and your child could've been ejected from the car seat w/ the coat still strapped in!

Lisa, smart state trooper for that reccomendation!

Jennifer - posted on 09/23/2010

wow this really helps out to actually see....way more real than just imagining what can happen! THANKS

Lisa - posted on 09/23/2010

he said as long as the seatbelt strap doesnt come across her neck, she will be fine in it. they actually have booster seats that you can buy, that have clips that will hold the seatbelt in place so that it wont cut into the kids neck

Hillary - posted on 09/23/2010

I always heard 40 pounds or 4 years old for booster seats. However, I bought a high-backed booster seat for my son who just turned 3. I actually bought it a couple of months ago. He weighs 34 pounds but he is built like a little football player and just hasn't fit in the regular car seat for a long time now--especially in a winter coat!

Lisa - posted on 09/23/2010

spoke with a ny state trooper today about the age requiremnets for a booster seat. nys says the child has to be between the ages of 4-7. when the child hits 8, they can be out of the booster seat. he siad there isnt a weight limit. but because my daughter is small for 4, he says that he should stay in her carseat for at least one more yr. he says its up to us what we want to do, but reccommends she stay in the carseat till she grows. he said as long as the seatbelt doesnt cut across her neck, she can be in the high back booster seat

Tannele - posted on 09/23/2010

My Jaylen is 18 months he dont like the car seat so we use a booster seat

Michelle - posted on 09/22/2010

Usually it is 6 and 40 lbs

Lucinda - posted on 09/22/2010

Contact state police in your area I believe in ny it is 4 years and 40 lbs and to be in a belt is like 8 years 80 lbs

Robin - posted on 09/22/2010

I know where I am at I was not able to move my now 4 year old into a high back booster until she wieghed 35 pounds. It was at least a month after her birthday when they finally oked it. Herbirthday was in march and she is just now 36 pounds.

Rachael - posted on 09/21/2010

In Australia the law is a minimum. Can always go safer! I have the booster seats that still anchor to the car and use a H harness and an 'anti submarine clip' (this stops them slidding under the car seat belt - big problem for kids!). No matter how good you think your kids are at not getting out, they will randomly do it. My 4yr old did it today, to reach over to his brother! I had just had a near miss with another car. Terrified to think he may have been out of his belt when it happened and I did not realise!

Casey - posted on 09/21/2010

my niece was in a booster seat at the age of 3..i had no say but if i did she would have been in a car seat until she was atleast 4.5 years old.. but go by the requirement that your state say.

Teresa - posted on 09/21/2010

Nevermind. I was going to talk more about the safety issue, but it's obvious you are only concerned w/ the legality of switching her. :(

Kelina - posted on 09/21/2010

That's probably a good idea, they'll be able to tell you whats legal, and whats safe. I'm hoping my son doesn't need another seat, we got him one that was a 3 in 1 so he could be rear facing, forward facing and it's a booster too! I think it goes up to 80 lbs so here's to hoping he'll last till he's at least 7 in it!

Lisa - posted on 09/21/2010

she is 29.5 lbs, and 2ft11" she can bend her knees in the booster seat. (we sat her in one in my sis in law's car...not with the car moving) she sits just fine in the one that has th back support to it. the local police dept is 2 minutes from house, i may just go talk to them and see what they say too

Bree - posted on 09/21/2010

Hi Lisa, My eldest is only 5 and he sits in the normal car seat no booster, after seeking advice from police taking him in there came to the conclusion he is to tall for any of the booster seats in an accident he would break his neck if in a booster as his head is higher than top of the booster, he is 25kg. my nearly 4 yr old is in a booster with normal seat belt he started with a booster and harness he was 2 and 10mths when i put him in a booster he is currently 19kg. My 11mth old is forward facing in a 5pnt harness, As the police told me the general law does not take into account all the different types of children.

Alisha - posted on 09/20/2010

It has to do with her height and weight. sounds like she is basically the weight but the other thing to look at is her height. If she can bend her knees at the end of the seat then she will be fine. But if her knees bend before the end of the booster then she is still to short to be in it. I know cause stephen my son is small and still has to have the harness. My pediatrician told me those guidlines

Lindsay - posted on 09/20/2010

The child in the middle is in a harness it is there to show how that child barely moves in an accident and the child on the end in the booster being thrown around.
If you must move her google the crash testing and find out the ratings for the boosters. On the most recent testing only 3 seats were recomended for use as a "good bet"and a lot got "might work" and some didn't pass but are still in the stores for purchase. If you don't want to watch the linked video you can go to youtube and search "booster seat crash test" and you will find all the videos.

Lisa - posted on 09/20/2010

sorry dont watch or open videos got too many viruses from them. she would never sit without until she is able to. and i dont ever put her in the middlke of the car either in the back seat. her carseat is always behind one our seats. i dont see how anyone can put their child in the middle....even a new born.

Lindsay - posted on 09/20/2010

Sorry I meant in an accident they tend to be thrown forward. I would never consider putting a 4 year old in a booster. Please watch this video and consider keeping her in a harness. There are a LOT of seats on the market that will harness til 65 pounds. If you do move her to a booster remember that by law she can not sit w/out the booster until she is 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Lisa - posted on 09/20/2010

my nephew has been in a booster seat since he was 3 1/2(he met weight requirements for it) and he has never gotten out of the seatbelt. he knows he cant touch the seatbelt, and that he is too stay seated at all times. my 2 nieces who are 4 and 6 are also in booster seats, and they too have never gotten out of the seat/seatbelt. my daughter is a pretty smart almost 4yr old and knows that she doesnt get out of her seat while the car is moving. i feel as long as she has the back supported booster seat, she will be fine. she isnt going to be using the one that has no back to it. to me that is not safe for any kid no matter what age

Lindsay - posted on 09/20/2010

It just isn't safe to put a child into a booster that young. A lot of children ome out of the seatbelt when they are in these seats and don't have enough weight/height on them. I personally won't be putting my daughter in a booster until she is going to first grade, around 7 years old.

Lisa - posted on 09/20/2010

but it does state on some of the booster seats with the backs that the min weight is 30lbs and the max is 100lbs. if they changed laws, why would companies still be allowed to sell boosters if the age/weight limit has changed?

Carisa - posted on 09/20/2010

the magic number is 40 lbs. my daughter is 4.5 lbs is the magic number. my 4.5 year old is still is to small..I'm hoping she will put on the weight by 5...I do feel like I am chasing a moving target with this...by the time she reaches 40 lbs, they will probably change it to 50!

Teresa - posted on 09/20/2010

Legal or not... If she still fits properly in her 5 point harness and the seat hasn't expired yet... keep her in it. I switched my girls to a booster before they were 4 (no clue what they weighed other than it was over 30 pounds), but that was 5 years ago and I just didn't think about the safety issue like I should've. My 2.5 year old is still rear facing. It's always better to err on the side of safety. :)

Stina - posted on 09/20/2010

i suggest finding the seat belt laws and car seat safety laws in your state. and maybe one of the car seat conventions where you can take your seat and child to this and they will tell you if what u have is safe and legal or not. and if its not they usually provide you with a new car seat. they usually do this for infant seats and so on but its worth a try

heres the site that you can select your state and itll tell you what the legal aspect is of that seat for your 4 year old.

http://www.safekids.org/in-your-area/saf...