Do your children ride in booster seats?

[peg2001]

The new law in Tenn (starting tomorrow!) is 9 years of age OR 5 feet tall. I'm barely over 5 feet tall myself so we joke that if they make the law any stricter, I'll need to get my own booster.

DD4 and DD7 are still in boosters and will be until they are safe to ride without one. We, too, are amazed at all their age-mates who ride without booster seats. We seem to be the exception but maybe that will change with the new Tenn law.

This brings up another point, WHY do people seem to take more notice of the LAW than the SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN? If the law says that they don't need a safety seat after age 4, they stop using a safety seat at age 4 REGARDLESS of what all the safety groups have been preaching for years.

I can go one better. SIL is currently living in Peru and is now visiting back in the USA. She mentioned that her kids were not going to be happy to have to wear seatbelts again. My jaw dropped! There is no seatbelt law in Peru so she doesn't make her kids wear them, much less booster seats! Her kids are 9, 7, and 5. She's described the crazy driving that takes place in Peru. I just can't understand her.

Peggy

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Originally posted by peg2001
The new law in Tenn (starting tomorrow!) is 9 years of age OR 5 feet tall. I'm barely over 5 feet tall myself so we joke that if they make the law any stricter, I'll need to get my own booster.

I'm only 5'1", and there are plenty of adults who would be required to be in booster seats according to that law. I think the 8yr/80 lbs is too high of a limit. I know we want to portect the children, but ....

 

[gshoemate]

My DD whose almost 6 is still in one. The crazy thing is that on the day of her school Christmas party I took her to school because I had alot of stuff for the party. I swear no one else in that parking lot took their child out of a booster seat. I just don't get it. Your children are the most precious things given to you, wouldn't you want them to be as safe as possible. DD is also small, only weighs 40 pounds, she will also be in one until she is 14, but it doesn't matter as long as she is safe.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Adults would NOT be required to be in them as they say "9 yrs old OR..." An adult is way past 9 .

 

[mudnuri]

DD's 6 , 48" 50lb and 7 50" and 55lbs are in Turbo Booster High Back boosters in DH's truck, and my car, and are in the lap type boosters in my truck, as I do not have shoulder straps in the back of it. DD7 has 2 kids other than her in her class that are in boosters, the rest are not....get this- 1 of them, her dad's a pediatrician...guess he figures he can fix whatever breaks if they crash.

I have nieces and nephews that have been out of carseats since carseats..never been in a booster...so whats that make them about 2 1/2? Yup- never sat in a booster. They wont ride in my cars/trucks, because they wont ride in one, if there under 8 and under 80 lbs in my ride, your in one...simple as that.

DD's can't go anywhere without their booster either..I've brought them to school to give to the mother of the friends house she was going to...no way is she gonna ride without one..

They prefer them too, since they can actually SEE out the windows... plus this new turbo booster- has adjustable head/shoulder support...they can sleep SITTING UP!! no sloppy heads!

Brandy

 

[caparamedic]

Of course my boys are in booster and child safety seats that fit them and are installed correctly! I wasn't real thrilled that my 5 yr old couldn't use his booster on the plane ride out to Las Vegas, but the FAA has their rules too.

Because of my job and what I see, it is a "no brainer" to put my kids in seats!

What really freaks me out is to see from my "perch" in the rescue truck, kids riding in the front seat, no belts, standing, etc. My hair stands on end everytime I see it! In Florida it is actually LEGAL to ride the bed of a pickup truck! Almost a dumb as riding a motorcycle without a helmet (also legal in Florida).

As far a helmets go, I would like to see a requirement that all motorcycle riders have to sign up for and have their family consent to be an ORGAN DONOR. Wouldn't that be great law? You can have your freedom, but if you screw up you can't sue anyone and you have to donate your organs to someone who really wants to live!

Happy New Year!

 

[campingcorgi]

Originally posted by pjlla
She is now 8 1/2, tall for her age. We still use one of those seatbelt adjusters to make it more comfortable for her. B]

Not sure what kind of seatbelt adjuster you are using, but I found this quote on the American Academy of Pediatrics site:

There are a number of products on the market that claim to solve the problem of poorly fitting seat belts. However, these products may actually interfere with proper lap and shoulder belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the abdomen and making the shoulder belt too loose. Until NHTSA develops standards for these products, the AAP recommends they not be used.

 

[disykat]

I graduated my kids out at age 8 when they were getting too tall for their high back boosters. My 11 year old is almost 4'9", but my eight year old isn't. I recently saw backless boosters that looked like they might be workable for him. I have been bothered for years about the lack of age appropriate products out there. Telling parents that don't want a highback booster anymore to go out and buy an unsafe toddler car seat (the kind that have the bar across the front that they sold for years after they said they were unsafe) and rip the bar off doesn't really seem like a satisfactory option to me. Now that they are selling appropriate backless boosters, maybe more people can be convinced to use them.

Personally I think they should sell something that would be marketed to people of any age under a certain height. I know a gal that has driven with a cushion for years and would use an appropriate product. I really don't think she needs the cupholders, nor do my kids. Surely they can make them without.

 

[BounceyOne]

DD just turned 5 and is in an eddie bauer booster seat. She outgrew her original booster and I let her pick her new one. She went with leather, my child has expensive taste

I now have a newborn, so the backseat gets a little crowded.