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Booster Seat Evaluation and Safety Guide

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released their recommendations for the booster seats that are, "most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles." As boosters are meant to guide the adult seatbelt into the correct position, not to restrain the child in the event of an accident, fit is crucially important. The wrong fit can cause a child to be injured as they can slip out of the belt, be strangled by the belt or suffer from internal injuries from a too high lap belt.

The following tips should help you better understand the importance of a properly fitting booster seat. Also listed is information on free car seat inspection stations in Hartford and across Connecticut.

• Proper Fit at Shoulder- When a booster seat fits both your child and the vehicle properly the seat belt should hit mid-shoulder. It should not be on or near the neck and it should not rest low on the shoulder or on the upper arm. Boosters should not be used with lap belt only seat belts.
• Proper Fit at Lap- The lap belt portion of the seat belt should hit your child at her upper thighs. It should sit flat here and not ride up onto the abdomen. Pictures of proper and improper seat belt placement can be found here.
• Best Bet Boosters- The IIHS has given over twenty seats their "best bet" rating this year. Seats on the list encompass every price range and were judged based on "good lap and should belt fit for typical 4 to 8 year-olds in almost any car, minivan or SUV."
• Test Protocol- Follow this link to see how the IIHS tests their seats and the specific criteria they use to assign ratings.
• Find a Car Seat Inspection Station- Even seasoned parents could use a safety check on their car seats installation. Inspection stations are located across the state and a link to find one near you can be found here.

The staff and attorneys at Glass, Lebovitz, Kasheta & Bren want to ensure that you and your family are as safe as possible each time you get in your vehicle. We hope that the information provided here and in our extensive library will help you better understand the various ways you can decrease your risk of getting into a life-altering accident. If you have any questions or need legal advice please contact your experienced Connecticut accident lawyers at Glass, Lebovitz, Kasheta & Bren for your free consultation.

We know that in Connecticut, auto accidents frequently happen on the Interstate and State Highways: I 84, I 91, Route 2, Route 6, Route 44, I 395,  I 95, I 291, I 384, Route 85, Route 17, Route 14 and Route 12.  The law firm of Glass, Lebovitz, Kasheta & Bren serves clients who have been hurt on these major roads and on roads throughout Connecticut, including but not limited the following areas:
Cities: Norwich, Hartford, Storrs, Windham, Brooklyn, Tolland, New London, Rocky Hill, Durham, Middletown, New Britain, Kensington, Newington, Willimantic, Putnam, Danielson, Manchester, Killingly, Plainfield, Glastonbury.
Counties: Windham County, Tolland County, New London County, Hartford County, Middlesex County.

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