When Can My Child Switch from a Booster Seat to a Seat Belt?

Get to know the 5-step seat belt fit test prior to moving your child out of a RideSafer or traditional booster seat.

We are with our oldest son, Mason (10 years old), who is going to help us share with you the 5-step seat belt fit test. The 5-step test is how you as a parent or caregiver can determine when you can switch your child from a booster seat to a seat belt.

Does the shoulder portion of the seat belt lay mid chest, mid shoulder?
Is the child able to sit with his bottom all the way to the seat back
Does the child’s knees bend at the edge of the seat with their feet on the floor?
Is the lap portion of the seat belt across the child’s upper thighs and hips?
Can the child stay in this position for the whole trip?

Can your child safely 5 step? If you answered no to any one of these questions, then your child still needs a belt-positioning device like a booster seat or a RideSafer travel vest.

If not now then when?

When a child can pass the 5-step seat belt fit test depends on the child’s height. This can vary from car to car. They may be able to pass the 5-step test in one car and not in another. Usually by the time they are 4’9″ (or 57″) they can fit properly in most vehicle’s seat belts.

Please understand that while the law in your state may allow for a child to ride with just the seat belt at a certain age (to learn what the car seat law is where you live, click on your state on this map) your child may not properly fit the seat belt at that age. Many children do not reach 4’9″ until they are maybe 10 or even 12 years old or older.

It is best practice to wait until the child can pass the 5-step test because an ill-fitting adult seat belt can actually cause injury rather than prevent it in the event of a crash. You can read here about seat-belt syndrome, a common injury when the lap belt is resting on a child’s stomach instead of the child’s thighs and hips which it is likely to do without a belt positioner like a booster seat or a RideSafer vest.

By Greg Durocher, CEO at Safe Ride 4 Kids and certified CPS Technician Instructor since 2002

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