Booster Seats

To help prevent deaths and injuries among children, the Texas Children’s Childhood Injury Prevention Team recommends the following:

• Children should continue to use their convertible child safety seats until their ears reach the top of the back of the safety seat and their shoulders are above the top strap slots, or until they reach the upper weight limit of the seat.

• Belt-positioning boosters raise children so that the safety belt fits correctly. They should always be used with a lap/shoulder belt.

• Booster seats with high backs are best in vehicles without head support. Children, who are at least 35" tall, should use the 5-point harness until they weigh 40 pounds. Then they can use the lap/shoulder belt to secure themselves and the booster seat. A shield booster should only be used when there is only a lap belt.

• Child passengers under 12 years old should ride in the back seat whenever possible. This is especially important in cars with airbags. Sitting in the rear instead of the front reduces fatal injury risk by 30% among children 12 and younger.

• Buckle up! A new Texas law requires children younger than 5 to ride in a booster or car seat and children less than 17 years old are required to use their seat belts.

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