The Importance of Kids Booster Car Seats

Are you in the market for kids booster car seats?

If you are a parent that has young children you should be thinking about their protection when riding in an automobile. Although many of us fondly remember riding in the back of our family station wagon before the days of seat belts, we didn't realize the terrible risk we were taking. It is an established fact: kids booster car seats can literally save the life of your child.

And as children mature, they grow out of their old car seat. However they still need a booster seat in order to better protect them in the event of an accident. In a nut shell, kids booster car seats do as the name implies: they boost your child so that the vehicles seat belts work properly. Without your kids booster seat, your child can actually be injured by the seat belt.

If that is not reason enough to invest in one of the various styles of kids booster car seats, you may want to consider this: it is probably against the law for your child to ride in the car without one. In most states children under the age of six, or who weigh less than 60 pounds, require a car or booster seat.

As you may know, there is a good reason to enact such laws. In the year 2009 almost a quarter of a million children were injured in car crashes. The vast majority of them were not properly restrained.

Okay, you are probably now convinced of the need for kids booster car seats. Now, how do you decide which product to buy?

To that end, I have listed three important points when evaluating kids booster car seats.

Kids booster car seats point #1: What type should I buy for my child?

While it's true that all kids booster car seats on the market have to meet the American governments standards, some seats are better than others. It is still important to make sure that kids booster car seats are installed correctly or are you jeopardize your children's well-being.

You may want to consider purchasing a combination version of the kids booster car seats. These types of seats come with a five point harness that is similar to regular car seats. Make sure that the harness is as long as possible, especially if your child is taller than normal. If you are currently using an older model that has a plastic tray bar or T. shaped shield, you should consider purchasing a new one. These older models are not nearly as safe as the current offerings.

At some point your child will grow out of this type of car seat and we'll be ready for a booster seat. There are two types of kids booster car seats: backless seeks and high back seats. Whatever type of seat you decide to purchase, you should refer to the instruction manual for proper usage.

Kids booster car seats point #2: How do I install my kids booster car seat properly?

The simple answer is you should test any seat before you purchase. There are too many variables involved to trust your first instinct. Some cars have lower backs than others, and children come in all sizes. Therefore, it's vital that you test the car seat to make sure it fits your child prior to purchase. A critical aspect of this is to ensure that the seat belt should cross in their hips, not the stomach, and a shoulder belt should be touching the shoulder.

And probably the number one rule for safety is this: never let a child under the age of 13 ride in the front seat. Particularly if you have airbags in your vehicle. Although airbags can be a lifesaver for adults, they can cause serious injury or death to a young one.

Kids booster car seats point #3: Where should I buy my next kids booster car's seat?

There are certainly no shortage of retail outlets where you can buy kids booster car seats. Any of the big box stores will certainly carry a few models. Stores such as target and Wal-Mart will have sales from time to time, and may have some good deals. My personal opinion is that Amazon.com is the best place for comparison shopping. They always have good prices and they also have a decent return policy.

Conclusion:

We parents live in constant fear for our children's safety. Motor vehicle injuries are on the rise because there are more cars than ever on our roads. It's a fact that auto crashes are still the leading cause of death in the kids over the age of three. Luckily for us, our children can be safer as long as our vehicle is equipped with kids booster car seats.