30 lb booster seats: It's time for a change (PART 2)

We just returned from Lifesavers 2008 in Portland, Oregon. Among other things, this conference focuses on car seat safety. Unlike the ABC Conference in Las Vegas which is geared to retailers, this conference focuses on car seat technicians and the challenges they face.

One topic we addressed was the 30 lb booster seat issue. Booster use is rising as states are requiring parents to use boosters or higher-weight harnesses to increased ages, weights and heights. This provides manufacturers a more robust market for selling...

these types of seats. This is a win-win for children and manufacturers.

We applaud the changes in law, and understand the market forces at work, but take issue with the lower threshold of many boosters. We understand that a small percentage of special needs children can only fit into a booster, but the tendency of children with average needs to be removed from an infant seat and placed in a 30 lb booster is surely greater.

In our earlier post 30 lb booster seats: It's time for the change, we highlighted the need for prudence when marketing lower-weight boosters to parents. Since that post, some changes have occurred. Britax has launched a higher-weight combination seat and will be phasing out their Monarch booster seat. They stated to us, "... lower-weight boosters are no longer consistent with the Britax brand of safety."  While their current Monarch booster manual does recommend a 5-point harness, we know parents rarely read the fine print. Britax's new product line changes are a more practical solution for keeping really small children out of lower-weight boosters.

Chicco will be launching a new booster this year that starts at 30 lbs. The good news is that there will be an age minimum for use of the booster. This will allow for older, yet lighter framed children a restraint option. While we don't rely on age as a measure of fit, this restriction will keep younger children (without the understanding or ability to stay correctly seated) out of the booster.

Obviously, there are other forces at work, like NHTSA. We've been told, we should complain to them, because they set the standard and allow for these seats. That's valid, except that manufacturers don't need to produce seats to the low extremes allowed by NHTSA. Manufacturers often choose to be proactive in their decisions for either safety or to get a market edge, or both (they are not required to test for side-impact worthiness, but do.)

We are happy to hear that change is coming, but more is needed. Ultimately though, it's the parent's choice and responsibility... so keep reading and keep checking fit.