Group Finds Many Parents Misusing Booster Seats

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A group concerned with the safety of children said most parents move their children out of booster seats too soon.

Safe Kids Worldwide said Tuesday that nine out of 10 parents admitted they stopped using booster seats before their kids were ready.

The group said kids should be at least 4-feet 9-inches and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds before they are allowed to ride without a booster seat.

If they're not big enough, the seatbelt itself could actually hurt them in a crash.

"If the child isn't tall enough the lap belt will be on their abdomen and the shoulder belt could hit their neck or their face. And if there was a crash then that child could have serious abdominal injuries, neck injuries or maybe even a face laceration," Kate Carr, president of Safe Kids Worldwide, said.

Research has shown booster seats can reduce the risk of serious injury by 45 percent compared to seatbelts alone for kids 4 to 8-years-old.