TOLEDO -- Parents before you take your small child to the store or school, you better check their booster seats. A new study says half of car booster seats don't fit all safety seat belts.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety examined more than 80 booster seats. 41 of them fell into the check fit category, meaning they didn't properly fit seat belts in every vehicle. Six booster models were so bad, I-I-H-S recommended parents avoid them.
"These booster seats are not riding up on the abdomen which is vulnerable to injury in a crash. The shoulder belt should fit snugly across the center of the shoulder. You don't want it riding off the shoulder or riding up on the neck" said Anne McCartt with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A record 31 booster seats have been designated "best bets" or "good bets" by the institute. Brands with more than one "best bet" include Britax, Graco, Harmony and Recaro.
The agency says boosters elevate children and position safety belts so the belts will fit them better. The lap belt should lie flat and on top of a child's upper thighs, not higher up on the abdomen. The shoulder belt should fit across the middle of a child's shoulder. If it falls off the shoulder or rests on the neck, a child might move the belt behind the back or under an arm. Check out the pictures to see how they should be positioned.
Check out the IIHS's website to see how your child's booster seat fared in the latest study.
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