Question Locking the Seat-belt with a booster.

Mylilboyblue

Active member
What is the general consensus on this?

My friend has a 35lbs 40 inch 4 year old in a booster. Most the the time the kid does okay and she fits great in it (HB Turbo), but my friend started locking the seat-belt to insure that she doesn't move too much.

Is this generally okay?


PS. Yes I have explained the benefits of Extended Harnessing but she will not buy another seat for her DD.
 
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wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
As long as her car is ok with it, it's fine. I don't see a problem with it. The belt will lock in a collision, it's just a question of locking it first or not. It shouldn't change the outcome, and it's a good reminder for new booster riders.

Wendy
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Her car manual will either say it's fine, or not have a restriction against it.

Wendy
 

PurpleCat

New member
Isn't the point of a booster seat so a child can use the seat belt like an adult? I don't lock my seat belt.

Just curious. :)
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Yes. And if they're sleeping and slump because they don't know they need to rest their heads before they fall asleep, or are too excited by their brother or friend in the backseat to remember not to wiggle out of position, or are playing reaching games, they may need the belt locked. They're not adults, they're kids.

It's also a nice transition for the child coming out of a harness into the freedom of a booster. Locking the belt reminds them to stay still, but they could wiggle out of it if they tried.

Wendy
 

lovemybabies924

New member
i had to move DD to a booster at 3 because she was too big for the scenera and I just locked the seatbelt and it was great :) but this time around im glad my yougest (3.5 years) is teeny cuz he can stay harnessed for another 17lbs or so!! :cool!:
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I have a question about this- I am currently half way done my CPST course and my instructor did bring this up. She said that you should never lock the seat belt with a booster because if a crash does occur, then the seat belt won't work the way it's supposed to when a child is in a booster. She said the child is supposed to move forward and then the seatbelt is supposed to lock. She told my class that instead of locking the seatbelt for behavior issues, the child should be in a harnessed seat.

Why do different techs say different things?? If I ever come across this what should I do?
 

Mylilboyblue

Active member
Just a little update....my friend's car which is a 2010 Toyota Corolla, says in the instruction manual NOT to activate the ALR when using a booster. So that is out. :(

At least the kid sits good in the booster.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I have a question about this- I am currently half way done my CPST course and my instructor did bring this up. She said that you should never lock the seat belt with a booster because if a crash does occur, then the seat belt won't work the way it's supposed to when a child is in a booster. She said the child is supposed to move forward and then the seatbelt is supposed to lock. She told my class that instead of locking the seatbelt for behavior issues, the child should be in a harnessed seat.

Why do different techs say different things?? If I ever come across this what should I do?

Techs say different things because they may not all have the same levels of education, nor have asked the same questions, nor been told the answer by the same person.

Not all belts lock when you move forward and impact them. Mine don't. Mine have a sensor that lock them when the nose of the car dips (which normally indicates a severe stop). When I go down a steep hill my belt locks on me, even when I don't move forward. So given that, it's fine that the belt locks. Since belts are ok locking that way, I see no problem locking the belt on a child who needs a bit of a reminder (maybe you've just jumped into someone else's car for a quick ride). Yes, if a child needs a constant reminder then a harness is good. But maybe, say, you're putting your 4.5 year old in a booster for the first time because you've had knee surgery and can't install a harnessed seat, and the person giving you a ride has her 43 pound 3 year old using the highest headrest position on a 40 pound AOE with the locking clip unnecessarily used on the wrong side? Would you trust her to install your seat for you, or use a booster and lock the belt? (and yes, that happened to me)

Wendy
 

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