If you thought Texas already had a booster seat law, you would be partially correct.  According to a new law enacted last September, Texas law requires children ages 8 and under, unless they are taller than 4’8″, to use an appropriate child safety seat.  This means they need to use belt-positioning booster seats until they are ready to graduate to adult safety belts.

What has changed is that the probationary period came to an end in May.  From June 1st, traffic officers can issue a citation to violators.  Fines for violations will be $25 for the first offense and increase to $250 plus court costs.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Committee on Child Passenger Safety, correct booster seat usage can reduce the risk of injury by 60 % compared to the use of an adult safety belt alone.  This is because “a child who is shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall and has been placed in an adult safety belt is more likely to experience serious internal organ damage and other related injuries in a crash. This is due to the improper positioning of the lap and shoulder belt on a child. The injuries include, but are not limited to: ruptured liver, spleen and small intestines, hyperextension of the lumbar spine and torn ligaments, and cervical spine and facial injuries due to striking the interior of the vehicle. This collection of injuries is known as Seat Belt Syndrome and it is most prevalent in children ages 5 to 8 who are typically shorter than 4 feet 9 inches.”

With all the attention on booster seat safety in passenger vehicles, many people are surprised that the same laws don’t apply when it comes to school buses.  Many school buses don’t even have seat belts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) assures us that school buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States:

Since 1998 there have been about 414,399 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes.  Of those, 0.34% (1,409) were classified as school transportation-related. A school transportation-related crash is a crash which involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle, or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities.

There is a good reason why school-age bus passengers are statistically safer:  buses are designed with a passive restraint system known as compartmentalization.  The closely spaced padded seats and high seatbacks, which are manufactured in accordance with strict federal guidelines, help absorb enough impact to avoid injury and keep children from flying out of the compartment in which they are sitting.

So while no safety system will ever be able to guarantee our children are entirely free of risk, it is reassuring that even without booster seats and seat belts, the statistics show us that children are safer traveling by bus than any other form of transportation.

This month, Ohio authorities started enforcing the booster seat law that went into effect in October 2009.  This law requires that:

• children ages 8 and under and less than 4’9″ use a booster seat
• children under age 4 and less than 40 lbs. use a child safety seat.

Law Enforcement treated the past six months as a transition period, issuing warnings only.  Starting April 7th, violators can expect to be fined.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio’s booster seat use rate in 2007 for children aged 4 to 8 years was 18 %, one of the lowest in the country.

Isn’t it interesting that in our litigious society, where so many of our every day actions are affected by the possibility of being held liable, four out of five Ohio parents in 2007 did not extend the same logic to the safety of their children in the car?

Why would such a high percentage of parents not ensure their children are appropriately restrained whenever they are on the road?  Is it cost, “coolness” factor, or a sense of disbelief that booster seats can prevent serious injury and save children’s lives?  Or did the absence of a law diminish our sense of risk?

Why should our attitude to risk on the road be any different than in the following scenarios?

• never letting children swim without adult supervision
• ensuring there is a life jacket for each passenger on board a yacht
• installing smoke alarms in the house and testing the batteries on a regular basis.

What do you think?  If you live in Ohio, or even if you don’t, we would like to hear from you!

In the last few years, legislators in most states and provinces have acknowledged the need for age limits below which children need to use booster seats.  As the chart above shows, 7 is the age at which the highest number of states feel this is necessary.  However, almost as many states mandate an upper age limit that is lower than 7.

Canadians have both more stringent and more lenient legislation than Americans, depending on the province.  Prince Edward Island has the strictest law, requiring children to wait until they are at least 10.   And no, that is not because PEI children are smaller;  the country’s smallest province is simply not afraid to tell its residents what they can and cannot do.  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Newfoundland & Labrador have 9 as their upper age limit, while Ontario, the most populous province, tells children to wait until they are 8.  We should add that all six provinces mention 4’9′ (145cm) as the height requirement in their legislation, though if a child reaches the upper age limit, they are free (legally speaking) to use an adult seat belt.

At the other end of the scale are the Prairie provinces and the Territories:  Of the six, Alberta has the strictest law of this group, with an upper age limit of 6.

Quebec has no mandated age limit.  Instead, children must use a booster seat until they have a minimum seated height (measured from the seat to the top of the head) of 25″ (63 cm).

Most researchers use the child’s height as the most appropriate indicator of readiness for adult seat belts, and the popular Five Step Test advises to wait until children are 4′ 9″  tall and pass the safety belt fit test.  We checked the growth charts to see at which age children reach this height – for most children, it’s not before they reach the age of 11.

Isn’t that interesting?  Looking at growth charts, every single one of the states and provinces with age-based booster seat legislation set the bar lower than what researchers consider to be safe for kids.   In the event of an accident, do you think your child will be safely restrained using an adult seat belt at the age mandated by the law where you live?

Regardless of legal requirements regarding booster seat usage when renting a cab, the practical considerations are often a different kettle of fish.  For one thing, even if you are traveling with only one child, carrying a booster seat around the city can be cumbersome, to put it mildly.  For another, your taxi driver may not always be as accommodating as you had hoped.

We have been asking parents about their experiences, and this is what they advised:

• Plan your trip.  You might wish to call the taxi company beforehand to ask for a vehicle equipped with booster seats or to confirm that you will be bringing your own.
• If you are hailing a cab on the street, make sure the driver understands you need to install your booster seat before driving away, even if this is going to take a couple of extra minutes.
• Leave the cab door open when installing the seat so the driver does not drive away before you and your child are settled.
• If your driver is uncooperative, don’t hesitate to find another taxi.  Take down the vehicle number and do be sure to lodge an official complaint afterwards.
• Remember to tip the driver appropriately, especially if you received attentive service.
• If you are traveling with your own seat, don’t forget to take it with you when you get out of the cab!

What other advice do you have for taxi travel with children?

Most parents with children who have outgrown their child seat don’t think twice any more about graduating them into booster seats in the family car, but what are the legal requirements when it comes to taxis?   This is a great question, though the answer is not always as straightforward as you might think.  For some states, it’s downright difficult to track down!

We took a look at 6 large cities where taking a taxicab is commonplace.  In four of them, New York City, Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco, the law exempts taxis from existing booster seat laws.  Technically, therefore, kids could get by with an adult seat belt.  Is this a good idea?  We don’t think so.

On the other hand, in Boston and Philadelphia, also large cities with high rates of taxi usage, the law considers taking a cab to be no different than regular passenger vehicles when it comes to child restraints.  While we welcome the intent of the law, this does not necessarily mean all cabs are equipped with appropriate booster seats.  In fact, most taxi drivers like to keep their trunks available for their passengers’ luggage, so they are unlikely to have a booster seat on hand for your child to use.

We feel that whether the law requires booster seats or not, children are likely to be safest when using their own booster seat.  That is the best – and often the quickest – way to ensure a proper fit.  Plus, you have the satisfaction of knowing the seat has not been involved in any accidents and how old it is.  For many parents, it is reassuring to know that only their child has used it.

If you live in any of these cities, what has been your experience with taxicabs?  What about other cities?

* Special thanks to Nicole Carlson (one of clek's Facebook fans) for Aiden's photo

Parents researching booster seat safety will love this resource:  the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has just released its second annual ratings of booster seats for lap and shoulder belt fit in a report recommending 9 models – clek oobr included – as “best bets” .   There are 6 “good bets” and 11 are “not recommended”.  From the press release:

A good booster routes the lap belt flat across a child’s upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder.  The Institute released its first booster ratings last year, evaluating 41 seats.

“Parents can’t tell a good booster from a bad one just by comparing design features and price,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. “What really matters is if the booster you’re considering correctly positions the safety belt on your 4-8 year-old in your vehicle. Our ratings make it easier to pick a safer booster for kids who have outgrown child restraints.”

The 60 boosters tested cover most models currently available in the United States, making this a must-read for everyone looking for independent comparative booster seat information.

Did you know that car booster seats can NOT be used on airplanes?   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that when flying, children should be securely fastened in approved child restraint systems (CRS) until they reach 40 lb.  After that, children should be secured with the airplane seat belts to help keep them safe during takeoff and landing or in case of turbulence.  Children with disabilities, even though they may be older, may also travel with special FAA-approved restraint seats.  Always check the label (like the one shown above) to ensure the seat is approved by the FAA.  There are several other types of approved label, and you can look them up on the FAA’s website.

You can also consider using a restraint made only for use on airplanes and approved by the FAA.

It might seem a little counter-intuitive that an older child may not use a car booster seat on an airplane;  however, there is a sound reason for this:

A key concern for backless booster seats used in airplane seats is the combined effect of seat back breakover and impact of an adult seated behind the child. Booster seats may expose the child occupant to potential abdominal injury due to the combined effects of these forces.

Also, you may have noticed that the placement of airplane lap belts is a little different than in vehicles.  Even when children are quite small, these belts usually rest over their thighs, not their abdomen, the area likely to suffer internal injury in motor vehicle accidents.

So what should you do if you are taking your child’s booster seat on vacation?  Well, you have several options involving checking it in, which is what the FAA recommends;  however, we also suggest you call your airline before you leave on your trip, just to be aware of any unexpected rule changes or airport limitations:

• the airlines are usually quite accommodating towards families traveling with children and they recognize that they normally have a few more necessary items than other passengers.  Usually, the baggage rules are a little more relaxed.  For example, Southwest allows two items of travel equipment (walkers, child safety seats or collapsible playpens) to be checked and transported in substitution of one piece of the free baggage allowance for each fare-paying passenger at no charge.
• some compact booster seats may be small enough to fit inside your check-in luggage, reducing some of the stuff you have to keep track of.  This can be convenient if you are traveling with several children or if you have a lot of carry-on luggage.
• in some cases, it could be more convenient to gate-check your car seat, though you will have to carry it around the airport.
• you may check in your child seat separately.  If your child uses a booster seat to get to the airport, you can carry it to the check-in counter and ask for a plastic bag to put it in.  While these bags are usually made of tough plastic and you can strengthen them further by wrapping tape around them, you should be aware that your airline will not accept any responsibility for any damage  occurring en route.  If your journey involves several stops, you can expect your seat to experience a bumpy trip.  Typically, this kind of luggage is packed on the plane with other non-standard items (e.g. bicycles, musical instruments and skis), and depending on the airport, you may have to retrieve it in a separate area from the suitcases.

Do remember that however you decide to travel, your booster seat, as well as any strollers or other child items, are well labeled with your name and contact phone number.

Bon voyage!