can't find the thread about Florida laws re age 4 in seatbelts...

cheerbop

New member
Anyone know where it is? I know I recently saw this discussed here somewhere. A friend of mine is visiting and she thinks she has to have her 4 year old in a seatbelt.
 
ADS

skaterbabs

Well-known member
While it is LEGAL for her four year old to not use a seat, it is extremely dangerous to do so, as I know you're aware. Pass on the following to her. :)

Safety belts are designed to fit the average adult male. Women and children (especially in older vehicles) simply do not fit. While there is little that can be done for adults (we’re still working on boosters to fit grown-ups who might want them LOL) belt positioning boosters make that adult belt fit your child.

Keep children in booster seats until they pass the "5 Step Test" (usually around 10-12 years old and close to 5 feet tall) in every vehicle in which the child rides. If the child meets the 5 Step Test in one vehicle, but not another, the child will need a booster for every vehicle in which the 5 Step Test is not met.

Weight is a useless measurement of whether a child is ready for the adult seat belt or not. Age is only helpful when considering the child's ability to sit properly.

In order to work properly, a shoulder belt needs to be across the collarbone and the lap belt needs to be on the hipbones. However, children often slip the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back, losing all upper-body protection. Or, they slide forward so their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat, making the lap belt ride up on the abdomen. In these cases, the seat belt CANNOT work properly! Children can slide down and out of the restraint, or the belt can be forced into the stomach, causing damage to internal organs. These types of injuries are known as "seat-belt syndrome."

However, some children should NOT be in boosters.
Children under 40 pounds and under the age of four should remain in a 5 point harness at all times.

A booster does not restrain the child the way the harness does, it simply "boosts" the child up in order to make the adult-sized belt safely fit a child-sized body. Children under age 4 do not possess the ability to sit perfectly at all times, and a child who leans forward to retrieve a cup or toy, or who twists around to see something or someone behind them, will not be protected in a crash and is at risk for serious injuries and possibly death. Also, children this age sometimes still fall asleep in the car. The slumping that occurs when this happens means they are not properly positioned and should be in a 5 point harness for that trip. Ideally all children should remain in an appropriate 5 point harness until age 5.


The 5 Step Test
If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTERS CAN NOT be used with only a lap belt!
(See your car dealer for a lap/shoulder belt retrofit.)
 

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