We ve got the whole notion down that our most fragile human beings infants should be in child safety seats, said Heather Pau, executive director of the National Safe Kids Campaign. But when children get older, past 20 pounds, parents are taking more risks with them. We need to close the gaps in laws and the gaps in parents understanding. Booster seats can vary in appearance, but usually look like the seats that children use to reach the table at a restaurant. They elevate the child so the seat belt fits properly across the shoulder and lap.
Size is more important than age in determining how long to use a booster seat.
The federal government recommends that children from 40 to 80 pounds and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall should always use them. No one is sure how many deaths and injuries could be prevented if booster seats were used more. About 500 children between 4 and 8 die in car accidents, making it their leading cause of death. Doctors at the Children s Hospital of Philadelphia have been collecting data on child crash injuries since 1998 and found that children who wear booster seats are only half as likely to be injured. Dr. Dennis Durbin, an emergency room physician who is working on the study, said internal injuries to young accident victims are so common that they are known as the seat belt syndrome in the medical community.