What's so special about 4'9"?

Last week, some of our staff members along with our awesome summer intern, Caitlyn, had the privilege of attending Faith Church's Back to School event for foster and adoptive families. Our table was stationed right near the backpack giveaway, which was especially fun because we got to see all of the kids getting to pick out their favorite backpack as they arrived. We also attracted a lot of attention with our neon-colored zebra-striped "limbo bar." All the kids wanted to try walking under it - until they realized what it was all about.

Set at exactly 4'9", the bar was a sobering reminder of just how big kids can be while still requiring a booster seat! While all bodies are different, most kids might begin fitting into a seatbelt without the help of a booster seat when they are around this height, usually between 10 and 12 years old. However, under current PA law boosters are only legally required until the age of 8, when most kids are still not tall or developed enough to fit safely into a seatbelt. This prompted lots of conversation with older kids, their parents, and even adults who wondered if they, too, should still be in a booster seat.

Pictured below are my twins demonstrating how far below the bar they stand. At almost 7 and a half years old, they are currently 4'4" (94th percentile) and 4'2" (75th percentile).

While you might be tempted to see big kids like mine and think they are far beyond the car seat stage, they very much still need to be in them - both legally (because they're under 8) and for their safety (because they're not big or tall enough to fit in the adult seatbelt without a booster).

Why are boosters important?

A 2024 study revealed that over 93% of kids in the US start using the adult seatbelt before they are ready. This is a problem because when the seatbelt doesn't fit properly, it can lead to serious injuries or fatalities in crashes. Not only does a seatbelt need to be properly fitted to restrain the passenger in the event of a crash, but an improperly fitted seatbelt can actually cause further damage such as spinal cord damage, whiplash, or internal injuries.

We definitely found this statistic to be pretty accurate at our event, with many kids sheepishly walking under the bar and admitting that they don't use a booster seat anymore. That's why it's important to spread the word! A booster seat is an inexpensive, easy to use product that could save a life. Unlike a car seat that actually restrains a child, a booster seat simply does just what the name implies - boosts the rider up so that they are in the proper position to be protected by the vehicle seatbelt, airbags, and other safety features that are designed to fit adults.

When can my child safely stop using a booster seat?

Most children start to fit in an adult seatbelt around 4'9" tall, or about 10-12 years old, but there is an easy way to know for sure. It's called the "5 Step Test" and we handed out stickers to the kids at our event with the 5 steps listed so they could check themselves when they got back to their cars at the end of the night. The 5 steps include:

1. Back against the vehicle seat with bum all the way back
2. Knees bent at the edge of the seat with feet flat on the floor
3. Lap belt low on hips, at top of thighs
4. Shoulder belt across collarbone
5. Can stay seated like this the whole ride!

If you can't say yes to all 5 of these steps, then a booster seat is still needed. If your kiddo is close or just barely there, it is also important to remember that the fit may vary from seat to seat or vehicle to vehicle. So for example, they may still need a booster in Dad's SUV but not need one in the third row of Mom's van. 

But what about small adults?

This is another question that we got a lot at the event. Because the height of our bar was so close to some adults' heights, they jokingly wanted to know if they, too, still needed booster seats. While it is a funny thought, it's important to remember that adult bones are fully developed, and most adults do not need adaptations to fit in a vehicle seatbelt. However, using the 5 step test can be helpful to make adjustments to your seat. The driver's seats of vehicles often provide the ability to make all kinds of adjustments - so even though you don't need a booster per se, you can still "boost" yourself up to where the seatbelt can fit you properly. Many vehicles also offer you the ability to adjust the shoulder belt to be higher or lower based on the driver's height.

Hopefully our colorful bar prompted some thoughts and conversations among families about keeping their kids safer in the car. Thanks to Faith Church for including us in your wonderful event!

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