Why Big Kids Still Need Boosters

Our visiting expert, John Stubbs of Safety Belt Safe U.S.A., has performed safety checks for thousands of parents and kids and has strong opinions about how kids are pressuring their parents to allow them to bypass using a booster seat. Parents are giving in, but Stubbs explains why this is not a good idea. 

1) Most kids are not tall enough to have a seat belt fit their body until they are 10 to sometimes 12 years old. 

2) Every State in the U.S. has a Child Passenger Safety Law and in California, anybody under the age of 8 has to be in the back seat in a car seat or booster seat unless they are 4' 9" tall. 

3) After testing more than 5,000 K-5th Grade student, Safety Belt Safe U.S.A. the data shows that only one out of ten 8 year olds is tall enough to have the seat belt fit their body correctly. Among the 9 year olds, only three out of ten 9 year olds are tall enough to not use a booster and at age 10, it's a 50/50 split. 

It's easy to take the test and see if your child can fit a seatbelt with the bottom strap low on across their lap and the top strap across their shoulder - not on thier neck.