The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its child booster seat ratings focused on seats that are most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit. IIHS tested more than 60 makes and models with nine seats receiving BEST BETS rating, six seats receiving GOOD BETS rating and 11 booster seats receiving NOT RECOMMMENDED.
This is the second year the Institute has released booster seat ratings.”Several manufacturers are readying new seats that should do well next time around,” Institute Senior Vice President for Research Anne McCartt said, “so we’re expecting to see fewer not-recommended boosters in the future. Already there’s been progress. Manufacturers have discontinued many of the 13 boosters we didn’t recommend last year.”
Although seat usage standards vary by state, it is recommended that children between the ages of 4 and 8, or weighing under 80 pounds, should use booster seats. Florida is one of three states that do not require children ages 5 to 8 to use booster seats, according to Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
IIHS states, “Boosters elevate children so safety belts designed for adults will fit better. The lap belt should fit flat across a child’s upper thighs, not the soft abdomen. Good boosters have belt-routing features that hold lap belts down and forward. The shoulder belt should cross snugly over the middle of the shoulder. Then it’s in position to provide effective protection in a crash.”
“Our law firm is committed to safety and increasing awareness on the subject of child passenger safety,” said West Palm Beach Attorney Scott Murray. “Too often, children are injured or even killed in auto accidents, and some of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented by the use of proper restraint systems.”
Murray Guari provides local schools and community organizations with a free 20-minute presentation that includes a lecture, short video and a Child Seat Safety. You can view their helpful child safety seats brochure in English or Spanish or visit their website to see their on-line video on Choosing and using Child Safety Seats.
Scott Murray is a partner in the law firm of Murray Guari Trial Attorneys PL. The firm founded in 2005, and is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 1525 N. Flagler Drive. Mr. Murray can be contacted at (561) 366-9099. Additional information about Murray Guari Trial Attorneys PL may be obtained from the firm’s website at www.murrayguari.com.
