What is the the height weight and age you have to be to sit w/o a car seat?

Question

What is the the height weight and age you have to be to sit w/o a car seat?

Answer 1

Legally, that depends upon what state you're in. Most states have

no updated their booster laws so that a child must sit in a booster seat

until 6 years/60lbs or 8 years/80lbs. But some states still have

outdated stinky laws that only require some sort of restraint to age

3 or 4 years and 40lbs. However - the law should not decide what's

safest for your child, since it doesn't usually match up with crash tests

and what's safe. To safely ride without any kind of booster seat,

a child needs to be at least 4'9" tall, at least 80lbs, AND most importantly,

pass this 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?

You want to keep them harnessed as long as possible. WHY KEEP THEM HARNESSED:

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...

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=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?).

Answer 2

Try this site, it is for all states......

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