Another Inconvenient Truth

---

Another Inconvenient Truth: Booster Seats Should be Used

There are now two reasons for all people who weigh more than 40 pounds

AND are shorter than 4 foot nine inches to be in a booster seat in a car:

1. It really could save your life.
2. It is now the law in the state of Ohio.

Seats used in cars at any age are not "infant" or "baby" seats. They

have nothing to with being young.

These seats exist for only one purpose, to physically provide a framework

so that a seat and shoulder belt will work.

Nearly all cars are designed for adult-sized people, and so those less than

4 foot nine inches tall need a device to have a seat and shoulder belt work.

All people in a car need to have their pelvis held by a seat belt

and their shoulder held by a shoulder belt.

The reason is that if your pelvis and shoulder are held snugly, the chance

of serious injury during an accident is dramatically reduced.

And so various devices have been made for various sized people, all with

the one purpose of holding the pelvis and shoulder snug while in a car.

• For young infants, the device holds infants 3-20 pounds backwards.

• After one year of age AND being 20 pounds, the device should be
• designed to hold 20-40 or 20-60 pound children facing forward.

• And once you outgrow the 20-40 or 20-60 pound device, you should
• be in a booster seat until you are at least 4 foot 9 inches tall.

In the case of the booster seat, if you are over 40 pounds and shorter than

4 foot 9 inches, your chance of serious injury happening in a car accident

is reduced if you are in a booster seat by 59%!

That means proper use of a booster seat prevents over half of all serious injuries from

car accidents.

There was a time when seat belts, then shoulder belts, then infant car seats were

shunned as inconvenient. Now they are routine.

It is time for us to have all our children who weigh more than 40 pounds and are less

than 4 foot 9 inches tall be in a booster seat when riding in the car.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person's particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.