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Booster Seats:
An Urgent Need for Preschoolers Part One
By Brenda Ruggiero
For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt should rest low across the upper thighs, with the child sitting straight against the seat back. The shoulder belt should rest snugly on the shoulder across the chest. Shoulder belts should never be placed behind the child or under the arm, which offers no upper body protection and can result in severe injuries.
A NHTSA study reports that restraint use falls from 91 percent before age 4 to 68.7 percent after age 4. In addition, the group estimates that only 6.1 percent of children of booster seat size are actually using one. This contributes to the fact that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 6 to 14. Children in this age group need to be protected.
"A lot of people ask me about the law, and I ask them which law they mean -- the law of the land or the law of physics," says Wall. "The law of the land changes, but the law of physics is constant. Your child is going to be injured or killed in a crash if he or she is not buckled up properly."
Photos from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Used with permission.
Read Part Two for information on types of booster seats, "add-on devices," recall information and more safety tips!
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