Ohio's New Booster Seat Law

Ohio’s Booster Seat Law will soon be in full effect

Will your child be riding safely?

After many years of hard work and advocacy, Ohio’s booster seat law will go into full effect on April 7, 2010. This new law requires children under 8 and under 4’9” tall to be restrained in a booster seat once they have outgrown their car seat. For years we have seen the devastating impact of children “graduating too early” into the adult seat belt. We know this law and education associated with it will reduce injuries and save lives.

Dayton Children's has been working hard to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of booster seats.
 
Children, 4 to 8-years-old, are too small to be protected adequately by the car’s seat belt system, which is designed for an adult. Booster seats are designed to simply lift the child up so the child fits in a vehicle seat belt system more like an adult.


If the seat belt doesn’t fit a child, he or she tends to move away from the vehicle seatback creating space behind the child which may allow for the child to be ejected. Some children may also tuck the shoulder belt behind their back leaving no upper body protection which could result in severe injury to the abdomen, neck and head.

In addition, without a booster seat, an adult seat belt can actually cause injury in the event of a crash rather than preventing it. For instance, if the lap belt rests on your child’s stomach, which typically happens without a booster seat, your child could suffer liver, spleen, or spinal cord damage in a crash.

Make sure your child is riding safety in a booster seat with tips from Dayton Children's.  If you have questions regarding your car or booster seat consider attending one of our local community car seat checks.

Holiday Travel Tips

Car seats – essential for safe travel by air or by land

With the busy holiday travel season right around the corner it is important to remember that car seats are an essential safety device both on the ground and in the air.

Not all car seats can fit on standard airplane seats, which are typically about 16 inches wide, but Dayton Children’s, Safe Kids Greater Dayton, and the Federal Aviation Administration strongly recommend using a car seat in an aircraft whenever possible.

"Air turbulence can be dangerous and can appear suddenly without warning," said Jessica Saunders, community relations manager at Dayton Children’s. "Infants and toddlers on airplanes are safest in a car seat with a harness. A child who rides in a car seat on the ground should ride in that car seat on a plane."

Parents should make sure that their child's car seat is labeled "certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft."

"You need your child's car seat to travel to and from the airport anyway," said Saunders. "Car rental companies might not have reliable car seats available and checking your child's seat as baggage could result in damage. Your kids are better off in their own car seats."

Babies younger than 1 year old and 20 pounds are best restrained in a rear-facing car seat, and a forward-facing car seat can protect toddlers up to 40 pounds or more. Children who have outgrown car seats should sit directly on the airplane seat and, like all passengers, keep the lap belt buckled across their thighs or hips. Booster seats are not allowed on airplanes, because they require shoulder belts and airplane seats have only lap belts.

Space for safe traveling on airplanes – Reserve your seat!

The FAA advises travelers with small children to reserve a pair of seats by a window. Car seats are not allowed in aisle seats or exit rows, where they could block emergency escape routes; they must be installed at a window seat.

Parents cannot rely on there being empty seats onboard an aircraft, especially during the busy holiday travel season. Holding a child on an adult's lap is not the safest option. Whenever possible, buy a child his or her own seat to ensure an approved car seat can be used. Most airlines offer a discount for children younger than 2.

Fasten your seat belts!

Inappropriately restrained children are nearly three and a half times more likely to be seriously injured in a crash than their appropriately restrained counterparts. Children should always wear a safety belt, in a car or in the air.

Adult air travelers should buckle up, too. "You're a role model," says Saunders. "Children learn safety behavior by watching parents and caregivers. Also, children who ride in car seats on the ground appear to be more comfortable and better behaved when using one on a plane."

Community Outreach to Keep Kids Safe

On September 18, 2009, Dayton Children's, Safe Kids Greater Dayton, Evenflo, AAA Miami Valley and our other child passenger safety partners held a car seat check to celebrate Child Passenger Safety Week and to remind parents that Ohio's Booster Seat Law will go into effect on October 7.

The day was a huge success!  We checked over 60 car and booster seats and gave away new AMP booster seats provided by Evenflo. Senator Shannon Jones also spoke during a press conference.  She was the author of the bill and is huge advocate for children!

Thank you to everyone who participated.  View some photos from the event.

Senator Shannon Jones talking about the importance of booster seats.

This guy isn't 4'9" tall yet so he needs a booster seat!

For more photos visit our facebook page!

Celebrate Child Passenger Safety Week: Use the right seat at the right time

Dayton Children’s, Safe Kids Greater Dayton and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following to help parents navigate the car seat progression:

• Use rear-facing infant seats in the back seat from birth to at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds. Use the rear-facing infant car seat longer if the seat has higher weight and height limits.
• Infants who weigh 20 pounds before 1 year of age should ride in an infant carrier approved for higher rear-facing weights or a convertible seat. It is preferable to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. For optimal protection, the child should remain rear-facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back. Typically the child may be up to 30 or 35 pounds.
• A child older than 1 year and weighing more than 20 pounds should be placed in a convertible seat, which can face forward or be rear-facing. These can be used until a child reaches the upper weight limits of the seat (typically 40 pounds) and the child still fits the seat (the tops of the ears are below the top of the safety seat, the back and shoulders are below the seat strap slots).
• A child who weight less than 40 pounds and has outgrown the convertible seat should be in a forward-facing seat if he or she is too small for a booster seat. Keep your child in a safety seat with a full harness as long as possible - at least until 40 pounds.
• Use a belt-positioning booster seat in the back seat from about age 4 to at least age 8 - unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller. Safety belts, which are designed to fit adults, won’t fully restrain a child in a crash. Using a booster seat will better protect your child from being thrown from the vehicle or thrown around inside it, during a crash.
• Use safety belts in the back seat at age 8 or older or taller than 4 feet 9 inches. All children age 12 or younger should ride in the back seat. Lap and shoulder belts provides the best protection and helps the child maintain the correct seating position.

For more information about car and booster seat please visit our website. Visit here for a list of upcoming car seat checks.