Q29: Consumer Reports said my booster may be unsafe! What should I do?
With any booster model, a child can put slack in the seatbelt. The shoulder belt guides of certain combination boosters can catch the shoulder belt, preventing the retractor from taking in the slack. These boosters can still be used safely! Proper supervision is always necessary for squirmy kids or escape artists. Many children can compromise their safety by unlatching seatbelt and harness buckles, escaping various types of carseats and by putting shoulder belts behind their backs while in boosters. With proper installation, instruction and supervision, the problem shoulder belt guides identified by Consumer Reports can still be used safely. First, make absolutely sure to follow the instructions in the carseat manual and make sure there is no slack in the seatbelt during the trip. On taller children, these guides may not even be needed since the shoulder belt may already fit correctly without the guides. Finally, some vehicles have locking seatbelt mechanisms. If you pull the seatbelt all the way out, it will lock, taking up all the slack as it retracts and then preventing the child from pulling the belt out again.