Convertible Car Seats

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

By current standards I would have ridden to college in a booster seat. According to freakonomics, booster seats aren't well validated as safer than proper seatbelts (unlike infant seats which have been proven much much safer).

[spotty_dog]

By current standards I would have ridden to college in a booster seat. According to freakonomics, booster seats aren't well validated as safer than proper seatbelts (unlike infant seats which have been proven much much safer).

http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.com/2...nomist-or.html

[poky]

http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.com/2...nomist-or.html

The only thing that article says about boosters *specifically* is that a study of 4-8 year olds showed more safety in a booster. Nothing about height/weight, and the five step test she recommends for "should they still be in a booster" also has nothing about absolute heights: http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.com/2...-if-child.html

[spotty_dog]

The only thing that article says about boosters *specifically* is that a study of 4-8 year olds showed more safety in a booster. Nothing about height/weight, and the five step test she recommends for "should they still be in a booster" also has nothing about absolute heights: http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.com/2...-if-child.html

OK, but while I feel T&S's pain that the law about minimum height gets a little weird for some petite adults...maybe some petite adults really should be in boosters. Did you see the earlier article I linked about how boosters affect belt positioning?

And mostly I was just googling around to see the root of this "Freakonomics says boosters aren't proven to improve outcomes like infant seats," because that declaration makes me cringe. Ironically, my friend who's a family doc just today told me about a case she had where her 10-year-old patient was in a car accident. She wasn't using a booster, and in fact because she was petite and the belt hit uncomfortably she tucked the shoulder part of the belt behind herself for comfort, and ended up with very serious injuries that would have been prevented through correct use of the belt (and it probably would have required a booster for her to get the belt to fit right).

Proper use of restraints at every age! Whoo! (You can also google "poor lap belt fit" to get hits from a lot of more reputable sources than li'l ol' me ranting and raving over here...)

[v-girl]

My mom is 4'11 3/4". She sits on a pillow and has one behind her to drive. Grown-up booster seat.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I'm 5'0 and relatively slight. I've always worn my seatbelt properly. I'm more worried about my airbag than I am about the seatbelt since I have to sit so damn close to reach the pedals and wheel.

DD will hopefully be bigger than me and it won't be an issue. I just think boosters are much less researched and many people make the assumptions that "longer is better" and I don't know if that true. I know the seat manufacturers want you to believe that...