Safe Car Seats For Young Kids

Keeping young children safe during car rides doesn't just mean putting on a seatbelt. For young children, it means a car seat, or a special "booster" seat, reports CBS News Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.

While infants need a car seat, young children who weigh between 35 and 80 pounds need a booster seat.
In a surprising study, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that less than 30 percent of children who weigh 40 pounds or more are in booster seats at all times. The government plans to convene a panel of experts in Washington, D.C., to look into how to change these low numbers.

The booster seats can be used for children up to the age of eight years old, and are designed for kids who are too small to wear seat belts.

The Century Booster. (CBS)

• One kind of seat is the Britax (see top photo). It provides head and neck protection, and is made for a child who weighs between 30-40 pounds. When the child is strapped into the seat, it raises them higher and makes the seat belt fit properly across their shoulder and waist.
• The Century Booster has special straps and is fully adjustable.
  

  The Bo Peep Comfort Rider. (CBS)

  
  
• The Bo Peep Comfort Rider is soft and can fit a larger child. The seat belts fit through the yellow attachments on the side. They are adjustable using Velcro.

Any large children's stores, including some toy stores, usually carry these seats.

Reported By Dr. Emily Senay