Is your carpool safe?

Now that I have school age kids, carpooling and play dates after school are common occurrences. I’ve run into a few snags when trying to arrange pick-ups and drop offs among our friends, and they consistently center around one item…the car seat or booster.

Do you have an extra one? Is there space for a booster? Does your child still ride in a booster?

I’m a stickler when it comes to car seats. Heck, my almost 7 year old is still riding in a 5 point restraint in my car! He used to complain, but I managed to convince him how cool his ginormous, side impact with built in cup holders seat truly is. He’ll move on to a booster when he outgrows this one.

It’s a safety issue I’m adamant about. Driving is probably the most dangerous thing we do on a daily basis and  many of us do it for a good chunk of the day. I know, I know…we all have stories about when we were kids. I still remember standing up in the back of my parents’ blue station wagon. I also remember my little sister getting flung under the seat, her head trapped beneath it when my mom had to slam on her brakes. Ahhh…the crazy days of the 70’s.

Back to carpooling…a recent national survey published in the February issue of the Journal of Pediatrics found that when it comes time for carpooling, booster seat use is inconsistent at best. Half of the parents would forgo a booster for their own child if her peers were not using one, and many parents weren’t even sure about booster seat recommendations and/or current laws in their state.

I can see how easily this can occur. I hear and partake in this conversation often. I finally purchased an extra booster seat to have on hand for friends and to send with my own child to make carpooling easier and safer.

What parents should know is this: both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend boosters for children until they are at least 8 years old and reach 4 ft 9 in.  In our state of California, this became law on January 1, 2012.

There is no safe distance for skipping on the car seat or booster. I hear this often, it’s only around the corner. I know how tempting it can be. Another friend of mine, who’s also a car seat stickler, had a horrific roll over accident when her children were still infants. Thankfully, everyone was okay. They were just around the corner from their house.

So, I urge all parents to pick up an extra booster today and believe me, I know how inconvenient it can be when your child is still only in  5 point harness. My 4 year old is not graduated to a booster yet. She doesn’t get to carpool unless there’s an extra car seat in the other car.

Take the time to review the most current car seat recommendations here. Notable are the booster recommendations I outlined above and keeping your toddler rear facing as long as possible, up to at least 2 years old is preferable (as opposed to the previous 1 year and 20 pounds).

Carpooling is fun for kids. My son loves it when a friend gets to ride with us and vice versa; just remember to use that booster for all the kids in your car who still need one.

Has carpooling become difficult for you because of the booster and car seat issue?

Other car seat resources:

AAP Car Seat Information 2012

The Car Seat Lady

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4 Responses to Is your carpool safe?
  1. Dawn
    February 2, 2012 | 10:23 pm

    This one hits home! My #1 pet peeve in life… parents not properly using or putting kids in seats! Parents, it’s the law!! I’m married to a traffic cop, he’s seen his share of fatal accidents involving innocent kids…if he happens to pull you over and you kid isn’t properly belted….be prepared for severe consequences that will hit your pocketbook! For the love of God, keep them safe. :)))

  2. Tasha
    February 7, 2012 | 2:00 pm

    It’s important to remember what the point of a booster seat really is. Although it seems obvious, some people seem to forget. The seat belts in your vehicle were not designed to fit a small child. If you were to try and strap a small child in, the seat belts would be positioned incorrectly, either across the neck or face, or over the abdomen. If an accident were to occur, this would cause serious injury to the child. A booster seat raises the child up, putting them in the correct position so that the belt paths do not cause injury. For a seat belt to fit a child properly the shoulder belt should fit snugly across the child’s shoulder and chest, and the lap belt should fit snugly across the child’s lap, not their stomach. Children under 4 ft 9 inches will not fit properly. Period.

  3. Sherri
    February 7, 2012 | 9:08 pm

    I was always more worried when mine were little and in someone else’s car. Even now I am! And the carseat issues have made school field trips a lot more intense, for the drivers and the parents who trust their kid’s safety with them.

  4. Elisa
    August 21, 2012 | 1:51 am

    I’m really wondering what percent of people use their car seats correctly every time. The carseats are designed to protect children if the are used as in the manual. Also I have many friends that install their car seats wrong. So please bring your car and car seats to proffesionals so that they can check if everything is fine.