Do high back booster seats provide better protection in car accidents?
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at
5:22 pm
I’m thinking about buy the Alpha Omega Car seat for my daughter. I’m not sure if I want to invest in a convertible or not. If having the back would help in a side impact crash I think the convertible one would be worth it. Just wondering what other peoples thoughts were.
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Actually high back booster seats provide the best protection in the event of an accident. Here is a description of this kind of seat vs. a backless booster seat.
* High back or backless Which type of booster you get depends mostly on your vehicle. If your vehicle has low seat backs or does not have any head restraints, you will need a high back booster to provide whiplash protection for your child. If your vehicle does have head support, a backless booster is fine. However, some younger children prefer a high back style, as the side "wings" allow for more sleep support. Also, some older children prefer a backless style that does not "show" as much and cause teasing from peers. You must be absolutely sure that your child has adequate head support before using a backless style. Remember, safety before popularity.
High back boosters with side wings will provide better head protection in the case of a crash.
My next door neighbor’s daughter flipped their SUV on our street (200 feet from their driveway) while swerving to miss a squirrel. The driver was 24 and the passenger was 5 years old (in a high back booster – in the back seat – passenger side).
The police officers and EMT’s said that if she’d been in a backless booster that she would have been ejected from the seat (due to incorrect placement of the shoulder strap when no back is on the seat). Even though she is average height/weight and the backless booster says that it will work for her height/weight. The cop/EMT stated that they have seen MANY accidents where children were ejected from the backless seats (even when they were of average size and qualified for the seat (according to its standards).
ALWAYS use a backed booster – I have 2 for my kids (bought them just after this accident as we had the backless ones and had never heard of this risk). NEVER AGAIN will I use them.
Great question by the way!