Ready for a seatbelt?

Are you wondering if your child is ready to travel without a booster seat?

There is a simple 5-step test you can do to help you make this decision.

1. Sit the child on the vehicle seat with their back against the seat.
2. In this position, their knees should bend at the edge of the vehicle seat.
3. The sash part of the seat belt should sit in the middle of their shoulder, away from their neck.
4. The lap section of the belt should sit at the top of their thighs, across their hips.
5. You child should be able to sit comfortably in this position, without slouching, for the entire journey.

If your child is not able to sit like this, then it is safest for them to continue to travel in a booster seat. This will position the seat belt in a safe place on their shoulder and hips, and they can continue to travel safely.

Remember, if a child travels without a booster seat before they are tall enough to do so, the seat belt will contribute to injuries rather than prevent them.

Don’t be in a rush to have your child travel without a booster. A child is likely to travel in a booster seat for at least as long, if not longer, than they were in a harnessed car seat.

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