Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A: An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt
and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt
can provide. The shoulder belt should not
cross the face or neck. The lap belt should
fit snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or
even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can
strike other people who are buckled up, or can
be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use safety belts properly.
38