when can we get rid of booster seat?

[Anonymous]

I am absolutely in favor of helmets and seatbelts and airbags and, yes, booster seats. But is not using a booster seat equally dangerous when the passenger is 4'1" and when he is 4'8"? Shouldn't lawmakers focus on pressuring the automakers to make adjustable seatbelts standard in cars rather than on sanctions against parents?

The article I linked to argues these point much more eloquently. Personally I'm a little better with numbers than I am with words so here goes.

Suppose the likelihood that you will be in a crash this year is 0.5%. Suppose that your 4'8" child has an 80% likelihood of being killed or seriously injured in this crash if he rides in front without a seatbelt, a 40% chance if he rides in front with a seatbelt, a 60% chance if he rides in back without a seatbelt, a 20% chance if he rides in back with a seatbelt, a only a 10% chance if he rides in back with a booster seat. Chances are, for someone 4'8" tall, the difference between the last two cases won't be as dramatic as it is for someone shorter, but ok.

So, overall, his chances of injury are 0.005*0.8 = 0.4% if you are totally careless, 0.005*0.2 = 0.1% if he is in the back seat with the seatbelt on and 0.005*0.1 = 0.05% if he rides in a booster. You can reduce his chance of injury by 0.05%. That's what I meant by marginal differences.

Now, if using a booster causes no embarrassment for him and no inconvenience for you, you should absolutely continue doing it. Every little bit helps. But if he is embarrassed and uncomfortable, or if you have a small sedan and two younger kids who need to be in boosters more than he does, I won't blame you for ditching the booster. Especially if you continue doing other things that, statistically, reduce your child's likelihood of being injured in a crash far more than booster vs seatbelt, such as driving less, driving slowly and never ever using your cell phone while driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"My poor daughter. She's 9 years old, 47 inches tall, and weighs 45 lbs. She's gonna be in a booster seat until she's 17"

Same for my DS 9 years old, 47 inches and 46 pounds. Sigh.

Are they going to take their booster seat with them on dates?