We occasionally have a 9 year old girl with us. She passes the 5 step test easily by height and sitting properly, however she is only about 70 (at most 75lbs). She has been out of a booster for a while now, a year and half to 2 years in Grandma's car, longer in her mom's car. Just wondering how hard and firm that 80lbs is when the seat belt fits the child properly.
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Been wondering about something with 80lbs thing on seat belt only
- Thread starter Keeyamah
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Not at all. Where do you see that? It's not mentioned in the five step test anywhere.
If the belt fits, the belt fits. Though I'd put her in a booster. Not due to her weight, but simply because she has a nine year old skeleton and won't have an adult skeleton until puberty.
Wendy
If the belt fits, the belt fits. Though I'd put her in a booster. Not due to her weight, but simply because she has a nine year old skeleton and won't have an adult skeleton until puberty.
Wendy
TechnoGranola
Forum Ambassador
Keeyamah said:
Wendy already addressed the 80# issue so I won't add anything there. But, are you saying the belt doesn't fit her properly now? If so, then she doesn't pass the 5 step test.
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I was reading something somewhere about how vehicle belts are designed for adults at least 4'9" and 80lbs, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was, or where (online vs. in print). Thank you for that info though, I'd have her in at least an NBB if she was mine, but we only have her about once a month or less, to give her grandma a night without her. So while we could enforce it easily in our vehicles, I'm just not sure its worth the (possible) fight for a once a month thing.
No, the seat belt fits her just fine. Well, except the very back row of the Ford Freestar I drive, but that row, nobody passes the test in, not even me 
I've thought about getting 3 Bubblebums, I think they are called, the inflatable NBBs, for that back row, just to have them. But haven't looked closely at them, so I'm not sure it would be worth the investment (small that it may be).
I've thought about getting 3 Bubblebums, I think they are called, the inflatable NBBs, for that back row, just to have them. But haven't looked closely at them, so I'm not sure it would be worth the investment (small that it may be).babyherder
Well-known member
Some states have laws that say 8 years old or 80lbs to be out of restraint.
The 80 lbs. thing in laws is a throwback to when many/most boosters used to have that as their top weight rating, and nothing higher was available, as I recall.
The belt is actually designed to work properly with a 40-50 lb. child in a booster (lock in case of a crash.) There is no minimum on weight it's designed to hold, though a 20 lb. kid in a booster might not trigger the locking mechanism, of course that's one reason boosters have minimum weights. Seatbelts working properly has to do with fit and positioning (the Five Step Test, as Wendy mentioned) and while many kids will pass the test between 4'9" and 4'11", there are kids who do before that (as early as 4'7" in some cars for some kids) or after (as late as 5'1") and then there are the seating positions that no one passes in (there are occasionally even recalls for horrible seatbelt geometry in some cars... And many women find because of our different shape, with, you know, the bustage, even at 5'3"-5'7" there will be cars where we don't pass the shoulder belt portion of the test.)
The belt is actually designed to work properly with a 40-50 lb. child in a booster (lock in case of a crash.) There is no minimum on weight it's designed to hold, though a 20 lb. kid in a booster might not trigger the locking mechanism, of course that's one reason boosters have minimum weights. Seatbelts working properly has to do with fit and positioning (the Five Step Test, as Wendy mentioned) and while many kids will pass the test between 4'9" and 4'11", there are kids who do before that (as early as 4'7" in some cars for some kids) or after (as late as 5'1") and then there are the seating positions that no one passes in (there are occasionally even recalls for horrible seatbelt geometry in some cars... And many women find because of our different shape, with, you know, the bustage, even at 5'3"-5'7" there will be cars where we don't pass the shoulder belt portion of the test.)
Its not even a bustage issue for me back there, the lap belt and the shoulder belt don't stay where they belong. The lap belt works on kids, but the shoulder belts cut into everyone's neck.
Idaho, as far as I know, only has ages, no weights. So its RFing to 1, harness to 4, and technically booster until 7 (I think the law reads like "through 6 years of age" or something oblique like that so lots of parents take their kids out on their 6th b-day)
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