>> IN THE UNITED STATES AROUND 300 CHILDREN
ARE KILLED IN AUTO CRASHES EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S THE BAD NEWS.
NOW HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS:
RESEARCH HAS PROVEN THAT USING BELT-POSITIONING
BOOSTER SEATS WITH LAP AND SHOULDER SEAT BELTS INSTEAD
OF SEAT BELTS ALONE REDUCES THE RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY
BY HALF FOR KIDS 4 TO 7 YEARS OLD.
DOCTOR DENNIS DURBIN IS A PHYSICIAN IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
>> ON YOUNG CHILDREN, THE SHOULDER PORTION
OF A VEHICLE SEAT BELT OFTEN CROSSES THE NECK RATHER THAN
THE SHOULDERS WHICH IS BOTH UNCOMFORTABLE AND DANGEROUS.
TO GET COMFORTABLE, KIDS WILL OFTEN PUT THE SHOULDER
BELT BEHIND THEIR BACK OR UNDER THEIR ARMS MAKING IT USELESS.
IF THE SHOULDER BELT IS NOT POSITIONED PROPERLY
AND A CRASH OCCURS, YOUR CHILD'S UPPER BODY
AND HEAD CAN FLY FORWARD AND HIT THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR CAUSING NECK,
SPINE OR BRAIN INJURY.
>> A BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT RAISES YOUR
CHILD SO THAT THE LAP/ SHOULDER BELT IS PROPERTY
POSITIONED ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE CHEST AND LOW ON
THE HIPS, TOUCHING THE THIGHS.
IN A CRASH, THE BELT WILL PROTECT AND RESTRAIN
THE CHILD AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.
WHEN YOUR CHILD COMPLETELY OUTGROWS THE INTERNAL
HARNESS OF THEIR FORWARD-FACING CHILD SAFETY
SEAT, BY REACHING THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OR HEIGHT
OF THE CAR SEAT, YOU CAN SWITCH TO A BELT-POSITIONING
BOOSTER SEAT.
CHILDREN SHOULD STAY IN A BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER
SEAT UNTIL THE VEHICLE LAP AND SHOULD SEAT BELT FITS
PROPERLY, TYPICALLY WHEN THEY HAVE REACHED 4' 9" TALL
AND ARE BETWEEN 8 AND 12 YEARS OF AGE.
BOOSTERS NEED A VEHICLE SEAT WITH BOTH A LAP AND SHOULDER
SEAT BELT TO WORK CORRECTLY.
THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF BELT- POSITIONING BOOSTER SEATS.
FIRST IS A BOOSTER SEAT THAT HAS AN INTERNAL HARNESS.
THESE CAN BE USED WITH THE HARNESS UNTIL YOUR CHILD
WEIGHS BETWEEN 40 AND 65 POUNDS AND WITHOUT
THE HARNESS AS A BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER
SEAT UP TO 100 THROUGH 120 POUNDS.
CHECK THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SPECIFIC
LIMITS ON YOUR SEAT.
SECOND IS THE HIGH-BACK, BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTER.
THESE ARE FOR VEHICLES THAT DON'T HAVE HIGH SEAT BACKS,
HEADRESTS OR HEAD RESTRAINTS.
THIRD IS THE BACKLESS, BOOSTER SEAT AND MUST BE
USED IN VEHICLES WITH HEAD RESTRAINTS,
HIGH SEAT BACKS OR HEADRESTS.
FINALLY, YOUR VEHICLE MAY HAVE A BUILT-IN CHILD RESTRAINT.
SOME OF THESE ARE SIMILAR TO CHILD SAFETY SEATS.
OTHERS ARE ONLY BOOSTER SEATS USED WITH A LAP/
SHOULDER BELT.
AGAIN, CHECK YOUR VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR WEIGHT
AND HEIGHT INFORMATION.
BELT- POSITIONING BOOSTER SEATS ARE EASY TO INSTALL.
OF COURSE, YOU STILL NEED TO READ YOUR VEHICLE OWNER'S
MANUAL AND BOOSTER SEAT INSTRUCTIONS,
BUT HERE'S SOME GENERAL ADVICE ON INSTALLATION.
THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A BOOSTER IS ANYWHERE
IN THE REAR SEAT THAT HAS A LAP AND SHOULDER BELT.
BACKLESS MODELS LIKE THIS ONE SHOULD ONLY BE USED
IN SEATING POSITIONS WITH A HIGH SEAT BACK OR HEADREST.
HAVE YOUR CHILD SIT IN THE BOOSTER SEAT,
PULL THE LAP/SHOULDER BELT ACROSS HIS BODY,
BUCKLE IT AND MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE SHOULDER
STRAP STAYS IN FRONT OF YOUR CHILD.
ALWAYS USE BOTH LAP BELT AND SHOULDER BELT.
IF YOUR VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE SHOULDER BELTS,
CONSIDER USING A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WITH A HIGHER
WEIGHT HARNESS.
LAP BELT GUIDES ARE CUT-OUT GROOVES ON THE SIDES OF THE
BOOSTER THAT HELP MAKE SURE THE LAP PORTION OF THE SEAT
BELT LIES BELOW THE HIPS AND TOUCHES THE THIGHS.
USE SHOULDER BELT GUIDES ONLY IF NEEDED.
A SHOULDER BELT POSITIONER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGH-BACK
BOOSTER MAY BE NEEDED TO GUIDE THE SHOULDER BELT
ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE CHEST.
CHECK YOUR BOOSTER SEAT MANUAL TO SEE HOW TO THREAD
THE SHOULDER BELT THROUGH THE POSITIONERS TAKING CARE
NOT TO PULL THE BELT OFF THE-SHOULDER.
SOME BACKLESS SEATS COME WITH A STRAP TO HELP
POSITION THE SHOULDER BELT CORRECTLY.
DEPENDING UPON YOUR CHILD'S SIZE,
YOU MAY NOT NEED TO USE THE POSITIONERS FOR A GOOD FIT.
THE SHOULDER BELT SHOULD CROSS THE CENTER OF THE
SHOULDER AND CHEST AND SHOULD NOT CROSS OR TOUCH
YOUR CHILD'S NECK.
THE LAP BELT SHOULD FIT SNUGLY BELOW THE HIP BONES
AND AGAINST THE UPPER THIGHS.
IT SHOULD NEVER REST OVER A CHILD'S BELLY.
FOR MORE GOOD ADVICE ON KIDS AND CARS,
LOOK FOR A CERTIFIED CAR SEAT TECHNICIAN IN YOUR AREA.
YOU MAY FIND A FREE CHILD SAFETY SEAT CHECKPOINT
OR CAR SEAT CHECK AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL,
POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT OR STATE HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICE.
AND REMEMBER, CRASHES HAPPEN,
BUT WITH PROPER PRECAUTIONS, SERIOUS INJURIES DON'T HAVE TO.
THIS PRESENTATION WAS CREATED BY THE KOHL'S INJURY
PREVENTION PROGRAM AND THE CENTER FOR INJURY RESEARCH
AND PREVENTION AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA.
