I'll have to check the seat we used to use for travel- I don't even remember what it is, but it may be taller. I'm in no hurry to switch her over, but I'm afraid she is getting too tall for her Triumph. I just wanted to make sure that in case something changed (she is 4.5 and about 38 pounds now, but my concern is her height) we wouldn't be violating the law if we put her in a high-back booster. I intend to keep DD in a car seat throughout the trip. I really, really appreciate you passing that along to me. What is my point? I've never seen the 5-step test. I have watched some shows, I actually read my manual, I refuse to take the seat out of the car DD is primarily in (because it was installed by a police officer-tech and I have it checked by him a couple times a year.) etc. I like to think I'm an eensy weensy bit more educated about car seats than the average mother (which, sadly, isn't saying a lot.) Of course, I have no where near the knowledge all you folks here have. How old is your child? How tall and heavy? How will you be traveling (car or plane or both)? What vehicle(s) will the restraint chosen need to fit in? Knowing that information will help figure out the best option(s) for you/your family. Backless boosters are okay choices for older kids who don't fall asleep in the car anymore, or for shorter trips, but vehicle headrests or tall seatbacks at least up to the tops of the child's ears are imperative for backless boosters to be safe. What's safest is to keep kids rear-facing to at least 2 years old and at least 30 pounds (1 year old and 20 pounds is the bare minimum), to keep kids harnessed as long as possible forward-facing, preferably until age 5-6 (because head injury rates for kids in boosters under age 5 are very high), but at least until age 4 and at least 40 pounds, and to keep kids in highback boosters with adjustable headrests until they no longer fit in a highback booster (because highback boosters provide side impact protection and backless boosters do not), or until they pass the 5 step test ( ).
And what parent wants to do the bare minimum for their child's safety? They are to be looked at as the floor, not he ceiling. However, I must say again, state laws are the bare minimum. This means that some boosters can be used by children weighing just 30 pounds. This means the restraint must be used in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions. State laws are the bare minimums, arbitrary rules set by politicians, and they very rarely actually reflect what is safest for a child.Ĭalifornia law says a child must be in an appropriate, properly used restraint until 6 years old or 60 pounds. A crash is a crash, and crash forces will be the same regardless of what state law says is okay. Welcome to the boards! The very first thing I want to say is that state laws can vary, but the laws of physics are the same no matter what state you are in.