Josh is almost 5 (will be on 4/25/01). He stands 45 inches tall and weighs around 40 pounds. He has very long legs and a short torso.
Sit with their behind all the way back in the "crack" of the vehicle seat
Sit up straight with their knees bent COMFORTABLY over the edge of the seat (not sticking straight out).
Wear the lap belt low on the hips and the shoulder belt across the chest, NOT over the face or tucked behind their back.
They MUST be able to sit this way for an ENTIRE car ride. Without slouching or fidgeting.
This generally occurs around 59 inches.
Seatbelt adjustor all the way up - no booster
Many older cars do not have adjustable-height shoulderbelts. Here Josh had his picture taken with the shoulder belt ALL the way up - while the lap belt fits ok, the shoulder belt cuts across his face. His legs are also too short to bend properly at the edge of the seat.
Aftermarket seatbelt adjustors (SafeFit, Millenium, etc) are not considered safe - here's what SafetyBeltSafe USA has to say about them: "Belt-positioning devices, such as clips or fabric sleeves that connect the shoulder and lap portions of the belt, are not required to meet federal safety standards. Tests by the National Highway traffic Safety Administration showed that they REDUCED the effectiveness of the shoulder belt. They also tend to pull the lap portion of the belt up onto the soft tummy area." In addition, they do not help the problem of knees not bending at the edge of the seat.
Josh without his booster - seatbelt adjustor all the way down
Our van has adjustable shoulderbelts. Here Josh has his in the lowest position. It improves the fit of his shoulder belt, but not QUITE enough - it needs to touch his shoulder. And it doesn't solve the problem of his knees not bending comfortably.
Josh in his booster
Perfect fit.
Shoulder belt crosses the strongest part of his shoulder.
Lap belt is low on his waist
Knees are bent comfortably at the edge of the booster seat, eliminating slouching.
