Why do you recommend booster seats for children
up to age 8?
Arizona law requires an appropriate safety seat
up to the age 8 unless a child is more than 4 feet 9
inches tall (57 inches). This height is used
because that is considered to be the standard by
which a vehicle seat belt should fit correctly.
While most families are used to the idea of
keeping kids in safety seats until they are around 5
years old, many are not aware that children need
safety seats much longer than that. Vehicle safety
belts are designed to protect adults and older
children, and they must fit correctly to provide
that function.
Looking at current vehicle designs, child growth
patterns/charts, and general lessons learned through
observation, many advocates have concluded that
vehicle safety belts don't fit until kids are 8, 9,
10 or even 11 years old. As a result of this fact,
combined with the fact that boosters are not yet
widely used, we see a great number of serious (and
fatal) injuries to children. Internal organ and
spinal column injuries often result from improper
belt fit.
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