BOOSTER SEATS: They’re a must in the car for every young child

We put our babies and small infants in special safety seats in the back seats of our cars. But what happens when our children outgrow them?

For many of us, we just rely on the standard seat belts as protection. But a study that investigated car crashes in the USA that involved children found that this was not good enough.

Children aged between 4 and 7 suffered far fewer injuries if they were placed in a booster seat before buckling up. The booster put them in a better sitting position that prevented many injuries, such as to the spine, abdomen, neck, which children in backseats suffered by an ill-fitting seat belt.

Overall, booster seats reduced the risk of injury by 59 per cent, the researchers found.

(Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003; 289: 2835-40).