When Can a Child Stop Using a Booster Seat

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County for When Can a Child Stop Using a Booster Seat. The opinions and text are all mine.

We just returned from an amazing trip to Baltimore to celebrate Thanksgiving with my extended family. The trip was exactly what we needed. Now that B is getting older traveling is getting so much easier. We are no longer packing strollers and pack n plays. There is still one big item that we had to bring with us, her booster seat. I was disappointed to find that car services do not have car seats as a standard option. It got us talking about when we will transition B out of a booster seat.

I knew exactly the resource that would help give me the answers, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, EveryParent App. As you remember they are the resource that helped me with back to school tips, how to keep kids safe during Halloween and how to keep kids calm during a hurricane.

In the state of Florida, the law is that kids under the age of 5 must be in a car or booster seat. This is a relatively new law, enacted in 2015.

I also found out through the EveryParent App that you should use a booster seat until your child is about:

4 feet, 9 inches
8 to 10 years old
Around 80 to 100 pounds.

A booster seat and seat belt rather than a seat belt alone greatly reduces the risk of injury.

Other Car Seat and Booster Seat Facts

If a car seat or booster seat is in a car accident you need to replace it. Therefore, buying car seats second-hand is not the best idea.
Did you know that Car Seats expire? They are generally good for about six years. Find and double check the label or owner’s manual.
Studies have found that 73 percent of car seats are either not used or installed incorrectly. You can make sure your car seat is installed properly by doing the inch test and the pinch test. With the pinch test, pinch the strap at your child’s shoulder after the chest clip is buckled at armpit level. If you are unable to pinch excess webbing, everything is fine. With the inch test, give a good tug on the car seat’s base once it is installed. A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
If you have questions or concerns about your car seat, you can set up a time to have a certified child passenger safety technician examine and correctly install the seat. Download Children's Services Council's free app, SafeMap, in the iTunes and Google Play store to find a location near you. .
Children younger than 13 should sit in the back seat to avoid injuries from airbags activating.
Flying on an airplane you don't need to have a car seat or booster seat.

About Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County

Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County is an independent special district established by Palm Beach County voters in 1986. Today, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County provides leadership, funding, services and research on behalf of Palm Beach County’s children, so they grow up healthy, safe and strong.

Mission: To plan, fund and evaluate prevention and early intervention programs and services, and promote public policies that benefit all Palm Beach County children and families.

Vision: All children grow up healthy, safe and strong.

Goals: Their four goals are that all our children are:

Born healthy
Safe from abuse and neglect
Ready for kindergarten
Able to access quality after school and summer programming.