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A record number of booster seats have won the designation of "Best Bets" in ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety this year.
In the ratings released yesterday, 31 seats were rated that highly because they correctly position a vehicle safety belt on a typical 4- to 8-year-old in almost any car, minivan, or SUV, the nonprofit research organization said. [Full list of rated seats below the pictures]
Booster seats are for children who have outgrown forward-facing child restraints, the IIHS said. A booster should elevate a child and route the lap and shoulder belts, which are designed for adults, to the correct position to restrain a child during a crash.
The lap belt should lie flat and on top of a child's upper thighs, not higher up on the abdomen, the IIHS said. The shoulder belt should fit across the middle of a child's shoulder. If it falls off the shoulder, or rests on the neck, a child might move the belt behind the back or under an arm.
If the shoulder belt falls off the shoulder, or rests on your child's neck, it won't work as well. This picture shows a poor fit of the shoulder belt.
(Image credit: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
The shoulder belt should fit across the middle of the child's shoulder. This picture shows poor fit of the shoulder belt.
(Image credit: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
This picture shows proper fit of the lap belt. The lap belt should lie flat and on top of the thighs, not higher up on the abdomen.
(Image credit: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
This picture shows poor fit of the lap belt. The dotted line outlines the placement of the armrest.
(Image credit: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
Here is a full list of the seats rated by the IIHS:
Best Bets: These are seats that provide good fit for typical 4- to 8-year-olds in almost any car, minivan, or SUV, the IIHS said.
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