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The Problem
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 Poorly fitting adult belts can injure children or result in ejection. Seat belts are designed to fit adults, so it's no surprise they don't fit young children who have grown out of their toddler child safety seat. Belt-positioning booster seats are designed to elevate a child so the shoulder belt fits properly across the collarbone and the lap belts fits across the pelvis.
Children can become too big for their toddler seats, usually around age four or five. The problem is that too many parents mistakenly place children in adult safety belts. On these small children, an adult lap belt rides up over the stomach and the shoulder cuts across the neck. In a crash, the child could suffer "lap-belt syndrome". Out-of-position lap belts place extreme forces on areas of the abdomen that can cause serious injury to the liver, spleen or bowel. Additionally, as the child's upper body jack-knifes over the high riding lap belt, the spine may pivot at a point that can cause lumbar fractures or paralysis. The shoulder portion of the belt should never be placed behind the child's back to adjust for proper fit.
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©2007
AAA Southern New England, all rights reserved |
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