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Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder
belt comfortably, and whose legs are long enough
to bend over the front of the seat when their back is
against the seatback, should use the seat belt in a
rear seat. Use this simple 5-step test to decide
whether the child can use the vehicle's seat belt
alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back
of the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably over the
front of the vehicle seat – while the child is still
sitting all the way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child's shoulder
between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible,
touching the child's thighs and not the stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole
trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was "no,"
then the child still needs to use a booster seat in this
vehicle. If the child is using the lap/shoulder belt,
check seat belt fit periodically and make sure the
seat belt buckle is latched. A child's squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position. If the
shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle, or use a
booster seat to position the seat belt on the child
correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt
under an arm or behind their back. In a crash, the
shoulder belt will not protect a child properly,
which may result in serious injury or death. A
child must always wear both the lap and shoulder
portions of the seat belt correctly.
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