My daughter is 4 yrs. old , does she need baby seat in the car or just a seatbelt will do?

Question

My daughter is 4 yrs. old , does she need baby seat in the car or just a seatbelt will do?

Answer 1

A booster seat is probably the best. Where I live you have tto be a least 85 lbs. to sit in the car without a booster seat....

If I followed the law I would be in a booster seat now and I'm 13!

I would probably have her sit in a booster seat until she is 8. That is normally a good time to stop using a booster seat. But, it is not safe at all for a 4 year old to sit with only a seatbelt.

Answer 2

she needs a booster seat kids up to the age of 7 need o booster seat and some even older depending on their weight

Answer 3

Check the driver's handbook for your state, it will have the details...Here in CA, it is less than 6 yrs or less than 60 lbs...Each state has a little variation on the issue.

Answer 4

Well....she doesn't need a baby seat, she needs an age appropriate child restraint. Not all harnessed seats are baby seats, there are many made for bigger kids, higher harness weight (HWH) seats that harness past the paltry 40lbs many offer.

Kids need to meet the bare minimums of 4 years AND 40lbs to be able to use a high back booster, but experts recommend keeping them in a 5 point harness as long as possible b/c of the major increase in safety it provides.  Usually by 5 or 6 years old, kids can safely use a booster.  At 4, the best bet would be what's called a combination seat, one that will harness past 40lbs and then become a booster when she outgrows the harness.

1)Graco Nautilus - harnesses to 65lbs, then becomes a great booster, much like the turbobooster. AWESOME seat, especially for only $150. Will be the last seat you have to buy for that child, and will keep her in the much safer 5 point harness. Easy to install. Looks like a 'big kid' seat rather than a baby seat.

2)Britax Frontier - harnesses to 80lbs, then becomes a booster. More roomy, comfy, and expensive the Nautilus. $279. But will keep her harnessed longer.

3)Safety1st Apex65 - harnesses to 65lbs then becomes a booster. Not a bad seat, but there's a reason I put it last on the list. Can sometimes be found online for $99, but can be difficult to install, has a pointy buckle that can poke kids in the leg, a short crotch strap (you can call Dorel to order a longer replacement strap) and won't keep her harnessed as long as either of the above options. It also requires that your vehicle's headrests go at least as high as the middle of the Apex65 headrest fully extended. For an extra $50, the Nautilus is a much better seat that's more comfortable and easier to use.

Now, here's WHY its so important to keep her in a harness and then a booster:

Compare the following crash tests for your self and see the major difference a harness makes.

Forward facing harness vs. booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A lateral test (the third view in) of a harnessed seat: http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index.php?...

A deep winged high back booster like a Parkway: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A shallow winged high back booster like the Turbobooster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

And a no back booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

Crash test video showing a 5-point harnessed seat next to a belt positioning booster

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfIuhL3cX...

VIEDOES OF KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DESPERATELY WISH THEY'D KEPT THEM HARNESSED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcq...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKb...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xb...

We also now know the spine is not solid until age 6.

So to sit in a booster and use just the seatbelt like an adult (basically a booster just fits the belt to the child,so it's essentially the same), they need to be able to not have the lapbelt cause those injuries, have the head proportionate like an adult, and have a solid spine like an adult. kids under age 5 have higher rates of head injury if they are riding in boosters than kids over age 5 (presumably because younger kids have heavier/larger heads in proportion to their bodies, so they fly forward farther or with greater force, thus incurring greater injury if/when they come in contact with vehicle interior or intrusion?).

"Another type of misuse is a child not using the restraint designed for its size and age. The

study of Isaksson-Hellman et al. (1997) showed

that the maximum effect of a restraint system is

not attained if the child is not using the optimal

CRS for its age. Also, a tendency of higher

injury risk was identified when the growing

child switches from one restraint to another, i.e.

when the child is at the youngest age

recommended for the restraint. " -SAFETY FOR THE GROWING CHILD – EXPERIENCES FROM SWEDISH ACCIDENT DATA

Lotta Jakobsson

Irene Isaksson-Hellman

Björn Lundell

Volvo Car Corporation

Sweden

Once she does move to a booster, she will need to stay in one until about 8-10 years old. Most states are making the move to require booster usage until 6-8 years and 60-80lbs. But law shouldn't be the last deciding factor of safety as law routinely only outlines the bare minimums of safety. She needs to be at least 4'9" tall AND 80lbs and pass this 5 step test before she can safely use just the seatbelt. Keep in mind that seatbelts were made for use by the average 120lbs, over 5' tall man, not children.

NO BOOSTERR 5 step test:

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?

2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?

3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?

4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?

5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

Answer 5

Try this site since I dont know what state you live in...........

http://www.childseatcenter.com/article10...

But yes she will need a car-seat..............

Answer 6

here it five yrs old and or 60 pounds.... check your states law on seat belts

Answer 7

In Michigan no baby seats required here. We have it made.......few rules and it's like the wild wild west.....EVERYONE move to Michigan.....You'll LOVE IT!