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Straight up: Kids under 4 foot 9 don't fit adult-sized seat-belts.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS PA—Kids slouch. It’s practically part of a child’s DNA. But a new study from the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in Australia proves that the stance isn’t only insolent—if it happens in the car, it’s also unsafe.
THE DETAILS: Researchers reviewed the records from 72 children up to 16 years of age, all of whom suffered spinal injuries in car crashes. The kids were divided into three groups: those older than 12 (the age at which the average child reaches 4 foot 10, the height recommended to switch from car seat to using an adult seat belt) those older than 8 (the age at which some children transition from car seat to adult seats), and those younger than 8. The analysis showed that children older than age 8 and younger than age 12 were seven times more likely to sustain a serious spinal injury in a car accident than the older children in the study—a finding the study authors say may reflect improper seat-belt fit.
WHAT IT MEANS: Kids between the ages of 8 and 12 are often too short for the geometry of rear seats and seat-belt systems in most cars, says lead author Julie Brown, a senior research officer at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in Sydney. When a child’s knees don’t naturally reach the edge of the seat, he has to slouch down to position his knees so that he can bend around the seat’s edge. And when he does that, his seat belts no longer hit him properly (the shoulder strap should pass over the shoulder and center of the chest; the lap belt should cross low, over the hip bones), leaving him vulnerable to serious injury in a car accident.
Here’s what you can do protect your adolescent injuries in the car:
•Give your kid a boost. Until your child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and can sit comfortably on the vehicle seat with her knees reaching the edge of the seat—without slouching—she should absolutely be in a booster, no matter what her weight, says Brown.
•Shop around. According to Brown, some booster seats are more accommodating to older children than others. If your child no longer fits in the booster you have, but isn’t yet 4 foot 9, it’s not time to seat him or her on the bare seat. Shop around to find a booster that’s made to fit an older child.
Accidents happen because the
Accidents happen because the drivers don't have their cars properly adjusted. I've even bought a clutch kit, because the breaks aren't the only things that keep the car's wheels from rotating. We must do more when we have children and money really shouldn't be a problem here.
If you want some help with
If you want some help with car seats you could talk to the guys from Jeep Des Moines IA. I'm sure that they do have a lot of experience with that by now. People ask about such details when buying a car.
Perhaps a design that is somewhere
Perhaps a design that is somewhere in between the booster seat and the belt is in order for not only tween, but individuals who are small in stature. I often observe the negative aspects of the smaller person who has an ill fitted seat belt on whilst driving a vehicle.
Jerry - Carid
Safety in cars
Safety in cars or any vehicle is a must when considering your childs safety. It absolutely leaves me cold when I see 8 or 9 years almost floating around in the back seat of the family car. Sometimes a restraint is not enough the booster seat protects and allows the child to view surrounds in comfort.
Paul
ECU Remapping
While older kids
While older kids may balk at car seats it is the parents responsibility nevertheless to enforce the law. Safety, as always must take precedence over fashion. In todays economy tuning yourself toward prevention, be it health expenses or otherwise must be a parent's number one concern.
Car seats and booster seats
Car seats and booster seats are an important lesson to reinforce to your kids the principles of car safety. Even as an adult the same rules of physics apply, so learning early on how to properly secure oneself in a motor vehicle is a lifelong lesson. bmw servicing essex
car seats
we need car seats for our children this will make the parents worry free and this will also help a lot of people and will not cause any accident this is like having your autoparts re modified
Booster seats
I kept my son in a booster seat until he was about 11 years old but constantly got grief from some relatives who questioned whether it was necessary especially when riding with them. I stuck to my beliefs that it was necessary. But I think I was the only one I've ever seen with a child that old in one. Most people that I see take their child out of one at about 4 years old. I guess people only care what the law says and not whats safe to keep them in a seat longer.