Booster Seat Use and Misuse
In general, children between the ages of 4 and 8 have usually outgrown a harnessed child restraint, but are not large enough for vehicle safety belts to properly protect them in a crash. Belt-positioning booster seats position the child and guide seat belts to allow the seatbelt to effectively restraint the child. UMTRI researchers have developed several studies to determine the rate of booster seat use by 4- to 8-year-old occupants. These studies have been implemented on both a statewide and local level to evaluate booster-seat intervention activities. UMTRI researchers have also developed new ways of measuring belt fit with and without boosters that are being used to study how vehicle and booster designs can be optimized for rear seat occupants.
