CHAPTER 6: BOOSTER SEAT ISSUES
Type of Restraint Used By Children Under Age 9
Chapter 3 presented data on the type of car seats used by children, but only as a percentage of car seat users (e.g., 60% of children who used car seats were using front facing child safety seats), Tables 15 and 16 show the percentage of all children who use infant seats, front facing child safety seats and booster seats based on responses provided by the parents/caregivers defined on page 30. Readers are cautioned about the small subsample sizes at each age and weight range.
A discussion on how the type of child restraint was determined, and the difficulties in attempting to make this determination over the telephone, was presented on page 35. As occurred in Chapter 3, Tables 15 and 16 include some degree of error resulting from these difficulties. In addition, the percentage of “all the time” car seat users on pages 32 and 33 is sometimes more than the combined percentage of booster seat, front facing child seat, and infant seat users on pages 107 and 108. This is because the Figures on pages 32-33 present parents’/caregivers’ response to the introductory car seat question which asked frequency of use. As indicated on pages 34 and 35, the survey subsequently recorded some contradictions to that response. The Tables on the following two pages move those cases to other categories, thereby occasionally producing lower overall figures for use of child restraints than appear on pages 32 and 33.
Only 64%, of the infants who had not reached the age of 1 were identified as using rear facing infant seats, at least on occasion. Another 18% appeared to be using front facing child safety seats. Seven percent were using booster seats as determined by the question on strap location (see page 35). Front facing child safety seats predominated among children ages 1 (84%), 2 (82%), 3 (76%), and 4 (53%). By age 4, there was a shift of some children to booster seats. Booster seat use peaked at age 5 (32%), but by age 6 most children no longer used a child restraint. For most children, an adult safety belt will not properly fit the child until at least age 8. NHTSA and other safety organizations consider a booster seat to be the appropriate restraint for most children ages 4 to 8 (although front facing child safety seats would be appropriate for small children at the younger end of that age range while large children at the older end may be adequate size for safety belts to fit them properly). Yet only 21% of children age 4 to 8 were using booster seats according to the data while another 19% were using front facing child safety seats. More than one-half (54%) of children age 4 to 8 were not using a child restraint according to the parents and caregivers.
Table 15
Percentage Of Children Who At Least On Occasion Use A Child Restraint By Age
| Age | <1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
4-8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unweighted N | (148) |
(110) |
(169) |
(163) |
(143) |
(171) |
(158) |
(197) |
(181) |
(850) |
| Booster seat | 7% |
3% |
8% |
12% |
29% |
32% |
27% |
15% |
9% |
21% |
| Front facing child seat | 18% |
84% |
82% |
76% |
53% |
27% |
15% |
8% |
1% |
19% |
| Infant seat | 64% |
9% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
1% |
* |
1% |
1% |
| Uses seat, but not sure or refused to identify strap location or seating direction | -- |
1% |
2% |
1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
* |
-- |
* |
| Never uses seat | 1% |
-- |
2% |
4% |
13% |
29% |
53% |
72% |
87% |
54% |
| Changed from “Uses seat” to “Never uses seat” | 2% |
* |
1% |
2% |
1% |
5% |
1% |
2% |
* |
2% |
| Never drive child | 2% |
1% |
-- |
2% |
1% |
* |
1% |
1% |
-- |
1% |
| Changed from “Uses seat when respondent drives” to “Never drive child” | 5% |
1% |
4% |
1% |
2% |
4% |
2% |
* |
-- |
1% |
| Refused/no answer given for frequency of car seat use | 1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
* Less than 0.5%. --Zero cases.
Qx: When you are driving and the (AGE) rides in the vehicle with you, how often does (he/she) ride in a child car seat? Child car seats include infant seats, toddler seats and booster seats. Would you say (he/she) rides in a child car seat all of the time, most of the time, some of the time, rarely, or never?
Qx: When the (AGE) is fastened in the child car seat, are there straps over both shoulders, a strap across only one shoulder, or are there no straps over either shoulder?
Qx: When you are driving and the (AGE) is riding in the child car seat, is he/she usually front facing or rear facing?
Base: Parent/caregivers as defined on page 30.
Table 16 shows the type of child restraint used at different weight ranges. Among children under age nine who weighed 40 or more pounds, more than half were not using a child restraint (56%).
Table 16
Percentage Of Children Who At Least On Occasion Use A Child Restraint By Weight
| Weight | <20 lb. |
20-29 lb. |
30-39 lb. |
40-60 lb. |
61+ lb. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unweighted N | (88) |
(241) |
(318) |
(576) |
(192) |
| Booster seat | 7% |
5% |
15% |
25% |
9% |
| Front facing child seat | 9% |
69% |
70% |
23% |
4% |
| Infant seat | 76% |
15% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
| Uses seat, but not sure or refused to identify strap location or seating direction | -- |
2% |
-- |
* |
* |
| Never uses seat | -- |
2% |
7% |
47% |
82% |
| Changed from “Uses seat” to “Never uses seat” | 1% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
| Never drive child | 2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
-- |
| Changed from “Uses seat when respondent drives” to “Never drive child” | 5% |
4% |
3% |
1% |
1% |
| Refused/no answer given for frequency of car seat use | -- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Qx: When you are driving and the (AGE) rides in the vehicle with you, how often does (he/she) ride in a child car seat? Child car seats include infant seats, toddler seats and booster seats. Would you say (he/she) rides in a child car seat all of the time, most of the time, some of the time, rarely, or never?
Qx: When the (AGE) is fastened in the child car seat, are there straps over both shoulders, a strap across only one shoulder, or are there no straps over either shoulder?
Qx: When you are driving and the (AGE) is riding in the child car seat, is he/she usually front facing or rear facing?
Base: Parent/caregivers as defined on page 30.
Awareness of Booster Seats
Use of improperly fitting restraint systems can lead to injuries. Booster seats are intended to bridge the gap between the time the child outgrows a front facing toddler seat to the time when the safety belt properly fits the child. As stated on page 106, a booster seat is the appropriate restraint for most children ages 4 to 8. Yet these children usually use safety belts instead (see pages 100 and 107). One question is whether people are aware of booster seats. Those considered most likely to have heard of them would be the parent/caregiver group. Figure 80 shows that about 5-out-of-6 were aware of booster seats. Among those aware of booster seats, 60% said they had used them with their child(ren).
Figure 80
Knowledge And Use Of Booster Seats:
Parent/Caregiver Group
Qx: Before today, had you ever seen or heard of a type of car seat called a booster seat?
Qx: Have you ever used a booster seat when driving with your (child/children)?
Base: Parents/caregivers as defined on page 30.
Unweighted N's listed above.
The most frequent age at which parents/caregivers started using booster seats with their child(ren) was age four (35%). About two-in-five (39%) reported an age younger than age 4, while another 6% were unsure or refused to say at what age they began using the booster seat with the child(ren).
Figure 81
Age First Used Booster Seat
Qx: At what age did you begin using a booster seat for your (child/children)?
Base: Parents/caregivers who said they had used a booster seat when driving their child(ren).
Unweighted N=771
Forty pounds is generally touted as the approximate threshold weight for transitioning a child to a booster seat. However, more than four-in-ten (43%)6 of the parents/caregivers who had used booster seats with their child(ren) indicated that they had started using the restraint before the child reached 40 pounds, while another 15% were unsure about the starting weight or else refused to respond.
Figure 82
Weight Of Child(ren) When First Used Booster Seat
Qx: About how much did the (child/children) weigh at the time you began using a booster seat?
Base: Parents/caregivers who said they had used a booster seat when driving their child(ren).
Unweighted N=771
In 2003 respondents were asked the most important reason for using a booster seat. About one-third of respondents said the most important reason for using a booster seat was to make the child safer and another third said a booster seat made the safety belt fit the child properly.
Table 17
Most Important Reason For Booster Seat
| Reason | Percent |
|---|---|
| To make the safety belt fit properly | 34% |
| To make child safer | 32% |
| Safety/health professionals recommend it | 7% |
| To allow the child to see out of the window better | 5% |
| When child is too big for safety seat but too small for seat | 2% |
| It’s the law | 1% |
| Don’t want a ticket | * |
| Other | 6% |
| Not sure/refused | 13% |
Qx. What would you say is the MOST IMPORTANT reason for having a child use a booster seat?
Base: Parents/caregivers who said they were aware of booster seats.
Unweighted N=1251
Respondents who said the most important reason booster seats should be used was to make the child safer (or that safety/health professionals recommend it) were asked what the booster seat does that makes it safer. More than one-quarter said the booster seat makes the safety belt fit properly, and a similar percentage said it holds the child in place. More than one-third of respondents said they did not know how it makes the child safer.
Figure 83
How Booster Seat Is Safer
Qx. What does the booster seat do that makes the child safer?
Base: Said the most important reason to use a booster seat was to make the child safer, or that safety/health professionals recommend it.
Unweighted N=489
Total exceeds 100% due to multiple responses.
Concerns About The Safety of Booster Seats
During testing of the questionnaire prior to the 1998 MVOSS, subjects expressed concerns about the safety of booster seats. As a consequence, the 1998 survey added a question asking if the respondent had any concerns about the safety of booster seats. This question was asked only of parents/caregivers who had said they were aware of booster seats. Among the 85% of parents/caregivers who had seen or heard of booster seats, more than one-fifth (22%) had concerns about their safety and another 4% were unsure.
Figure 84
Have Concerns About The Safety Of Booster Seats
Qx: Before today, had you ever seen or heard of a type of car seat called a booster seat?
Qx: Do you have any concerns about the safety of booster seats?
Base: Parents/caregivers as defined on page 30.
Unweighted N's listed above.
The sum of the percentages in the pie chart does not equal 100% because the numbers are rounded.
When asked what concerns they had about the safety of booster seats, the parents/ caregivers criticized them as loose fitting and unstable systems that would not adequately restrain the child in a crash.
Table 18
Concerns About Booster Seat Safety
| Concern | Percent |
|---|---|
| Security of attachment (net) | 32% |
| Seat isn't securely attached to car's seat/not stable/seat slides/shifts/rocks/moves around | 19% |
| Seat is not secure | 8% |
| Straps can’t secure seat tightly enough | 1% |
| Any other security of attachment mentions | 3% |
| Inadequate restraint (net) | 35% |
| Inadequate restraint/does not fully restrain child (unspecified) | 15% |
| Child/infant could slip/slide out/nothing to keep infant from sliding out of seat | 10% |
| Easy for child to climb/wiggle/escape out of seat | 4% |
| Child could be ejected/thrown/fly out of seat in a sudden stop | 4% |
| Any other inadequate restraint capability mentions | 2% |
| Easy for child to unlock/unbuckle/undo booster seat | 1% |
| Other | 39% |
| Safety concerns/don’t know how safe they are (unspecified) | 16% |
| How safe they are compared to regular infant/child safety seats | 5% |
| How safe they would be in an accident | 4% |
| Poorly/improperly designed | 3% |
| My child is too small/young to use it | 2% |
| Know of a child who was injured | * |
| Any other type of response | 9% |
| Not sure/refused | 2% |
Qx: What are those concerns (about the safety of booster seats)?
Base: Parents/caregivers who said they had concerns about the safety of booster seats.
Unweighted N=274
*Less than 0.5%.
Total exceeds 100% due to multiple responses.
In total, 15% of parents/caregivers either were not aware of booster seats, or were unsure if they had seen or heard about them, or did not provide a response (see page 109). Almost one-fifth of parents/caregivers (18%) had heard of booster seats and had concerns about them (i.e., 22% of the 85% who were aware of booster seats). Three percent were aware of booster seats, but unsure whether they had concerns about their safety. The remaining 64% of parents/caregivers said they were aware of booster seats, and had no concerns about their safety.
Figure 85
Awareness And Concerns About Booster Seats
Qx: Before today, had you ever seen or heard of a type of car seat called a booster seat?
Qx: Do you have any concerns about the safety of booster seats?
Base: Parents/caregivers as defined on page 30.
Unweighted N=1440
Expected Restraint System After Outgrowing Current Seat
The interviewers asked parents/caregivers if they expected the child to use “a different type of car seat, a seat belt, or something else” after outgrowing the current seat. In general, children in rear facing seats were expected to move on to other safety seats, although 16% expected the child to use safety belts and 1% volunteered “nothing.” Expectations became more varied with front facing safety seats as 67% said that the child would use a different seat or booster seat while 31% either answered that the child would graduate to safety belts or else that they did not know what would happen.
Figure 86
Expected Restraint System For Child
After Outgrowing Current Seat By Type of Seat
Qx: When your (AGE) outgrows his/her current child car seat, do you expect him/her to use a different type of car seat, a seat belt or something else?
Base: Child under 9 at least on occasion rides in a child car seat.
Unweighted N's listed above.
6The number does not equal the sum of the components in the Figure due to rounding.