Booster seats are meant to do one thing — elevate children so that safety belts designed for adults are in the right position to restrain kids during a crash.

Thirteen of the 41 belt-positioning booster seats the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently evaluated with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute did such a poor job of improving the fit of lap and shoulder belts for children that the Institute doesn’t recommend them at all. Ten models are best bets and 5 are good bets.

Not-recommended boosters:
Boosters the Institute doesn’t recommend are the highback Compass B505, Compass B510, Cosco/Dorel Traveler, and Evenflo Big Kid Confidence; backless Safety Angel Ride Ryte; combination Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega, Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit, Cosco Highback Booster, Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect, Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch, Evenflo Generations, Graco CarGo Zephyr, and Safety 1st/Dorel Intera.

At least 2 of these models have been discontinued, hopefully replaced by better designs. Booster makers sometimes reuse names and even model numbers for new seats, so manufacture dates and model numbers are important.

Best bets and good bets:
The 10 best-bet boosters are the most likely to position not only lap belts but also shoulder portions correctly on many children in many vehicles. Best bets include 3 backless seats: Combi Kobuk, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage, and Graco TurboBooster. These may require plastic clips to correctly position shoulder belts.

Six highbacks are best bets: Britax Monarch, Britax Parkway, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage, LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear, Recaro Young Style, and Volvo booster cushion. Another best bet is the combination seat Safeguard Go when it’s used as a backless booster. Combination seats convert to boosters by removing their built-in harnesses. At least 5 of the best-bet boosters have been discontinued but still are sold.

The 5 good bets provide acceptable belt fit in almost as many vehicle belt configurations. They are highbacks Combi Kobuk, Graco TurboBooster, and Safety Angel Ride Ryte, and combinations Recaro Young Sport and Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65, when used as highbacks.

Child safety seat laws in 43 states and the District of Columbia include booster seat provisions, but until now there has been little information on how to pick one that provides proper belt fit.

            According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 2.9 million people suffered seat belt injuries, and 43,000 people died as a result of seat belt injuries in 2002.  Due to the inadequacy of many seat belt systems, a growing number of products liability and negligence suits have been filed for personal injury and wrongful death.

            In the event of a motor vehicle collision, a restraint system should help to keep the occupant in the vehicle, dissipate energy, and prevent second interior occupant collisions.  Several defects have been exposed in the design, manufacture, assembly, installation, and warnings of the restraint systems.  However, the industry has yet to correct these problems.

            There are four main components of a seat belt restraint system.  These include: (1) the webbing (2) the buckle (3) the retractor; and (4) the anchorage.  If any of these mechanisms fail, the occupant may suffer serious injury or death.  In order to recover for any damages, the plaintiff must prove that the system was defective when it was in the possession, control, or responsibility of the defendant.  The plaintiff must also prove that the defect caused the injury.

            If you believe you may have suffered from a potential seat belt injury, please contact the attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606.  Our attorneys have years of experience in motor vehicle and products liability cases, and look forward to helping you.

          A community in Minnesota is going the extra mile to ensure child safety in vehicles. This Thursday (July 10th), the River Falls Area Hospital and River Falls Ambulance are sponsoring a car seat safety clinic. The clinic will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. where certified passenger safety technicians will conduct a free inspection where they will evaluate any defects and applicable recalls, as well as suitability for the car’s seatbelt system and the child it serves.  
          People attending the clinic should bring their car seat and their child to the inspection. They will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If a car seat does not meet safety guidelines, it will be replaced with one that does provided by the Kinnickinnic Health Foundation.
          According to the River Falls Journal, approximately 90% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly. Faulty, damaged, inadequate or improperly used car seats have been known to cause serious injury to children during wrecks.
          Are you concerned about car seat safety in your area? Consider following the example of the River Falls community by organizing an inspection clinic in your neighborhood.
          Has your child been injured in a wreck because of a car seat? If the car seat failure was due to a manufacturing defect, you may have a case. The attorneys at Cappolino, Dodd & Krebs LLP are experienced in Texas car wreck lawsuits. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car wreck, contact a car wreck attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs today, at 1-800-460-0606.