Boostem Up!

South Carolina

Street Smart

A Safety Hero!

Funded by NHTSA Cooperative Agreement#DTNH22-03-H-05154

SC Law >>

What is Boost’em Up?

Many Children are using seat belts far to soon. Boost’em Up was a federally-funded 3-year study to determine effective methods for increasing the use of booster seats among 4-8 year olds. ThinkFirst created the educational components of Boost’em Up to help parents and kids understand the facts about booster seat use.

Why use a Booster Seat?

4 foot 9 is the magic line! Kids under 4’9” tall (57”) between 4- 8 years of age, need to use a booster seat. Seat belts are designed to fit adults, not children. Booster seats position kids so the shoulder strap is off the neck and the lab belt fits low on the lower hips, not the belly. This reduces head, neck, spine and internal injuries that are seen in small children using only seat belts. Boosters reduce the risk of injury by 59%, and greatly improve a child’s chance of survival.

Issue

Four out of five children who are buckled into a safety seat are at risk of injury or death due to improper installation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that consumers get the car seat thing wrong more than 85% of the time. Parents make mistakes by adjusting the belts too loosely over the shoulders. Other times, the crosspiece is too low to keep a child restrained properly. Shoulder straps should come through the seat, back just above the shoulder, and be tightened so that you cannot pinch the fabric together. Crosspieces should be positioned no lower than the armpits.