Many parents have been informed by their seven or eight year old that they no longer need a booster seat, that it’s for babies, or that their friends don’t use them anymore.  Heard this one before?  Let’s face it, kids can be under a lot of peer pressure at that age, but that’s not a good enough reason to let them throw out their booster seat and risk serious injury in the event of an accident.

Always check the child restraint laws in the state or province you are driving in.  Most require a booster seat to be used up to the age of 8.  But what if your child is small for his or her age?  Age is often not enough to keep them safe.  A good rule of thumb is that children need to reach 4’9”, which is somewhere between 10 and 12 for most children.

An even better method is to use the 5-step test to determine if your child can safely ride in the car without needing a booster seat.  You can find the five step test on SafetyBeltSafe USA. And don’t forget to remind your child that boosters are for big kids.