Heres a simple lesson to help you navigate the age requirements weight limits and various styles of childrens car seats. Make sure children are properly buckled in a car seat booster seat or seat belt whichever is appropriate for their weight height and age.
When Is The Right Time For A Booster Seat Consumer Reports
Height and weight to use booster seat in car. Just fill out your childs age height and weight and youll be provided car seat types that fit your child. The state also recommends that they stay in a booster seat until they are 100 pounds in weight or 49 in height although this is not mandatory. Thats usually 30 to 60 pounds 136 to. According to the nhtsa car accidents are the leading cause of death in children 2 to 14 years old in large part due to the non use or improper use of child safety seats and seat belts. Rear facing seats forward facing seats booster seats the safety guidelines all start to blend together after a while. For the best possible protection infants and toddlers should be buckled in a rear facing car seat in the back seat until they reach the maximum weight and height limits of their car seat.
The car seat finder is an easy to use tool that helps you find the right car seat for your child. The child needs to continue to use the booster seat until the vehicles seat belt lies correctly across the childs chest and lap. Most forward facing car seats accommodate children between 20 and 40 lbs. Use a rear facing car seat from birth until ages 24. And even as much as 80 lbs. However some models made by britax can accommodate children up to 65 lbs.
The american academy of pediatrics aap recommends babies be in rear facing seats until age 2 or until they reach the car seats height or weight limit. Children between the ages of 3 and 4 who are at least 40 pounds are good candidates for booster seats as long as the lap and shoulder belt fits properly when the child is seatedthe child should be able to sit comfortably for the entire trip without altering his position by sitting on his knees or leaning forward. In this state all children who weigh less than 80 pounds or are under eight years of age need to be in a booster seat or appropriate car seat. In fact a nhtsa review conducted in 2009 found that half of all children age 7 and younger killed in motor vehicle crashes were not in any type of child.