# Car seats - how old? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632 "2003-05-21T20:16:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/1 "2003-05-21T20:16:02Z")
How old should a child be before they can stop using a child seat. My daughter is 6 yo and about 50 lbs. Should she still be in a car seat or is it time to let her just use a shoulder belt? ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/2 "2003-05-21T20:45:58Z")
Do you mean a booster seat? My 6 year old uses a booster seat. the NHTSA says booster seat until 8– [http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/booster\_seat/National\_Strategy/executive\_summary.htm](http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/booster_seat/National_Strategy/executive_summary.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/3 "2003-05-21T20:49:02Z")
Oh, here’s a better link– [http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/booster\_seat/brochure/inside.html](http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/booster_seat/brochure/inside.html) > [@](#): > > age eight or older or taller than 4’9". scroll down to the bottom of the “when do you use a booster seat” box. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/4 "2003-05-21T20:52:28Z")
[http://www.safetycops.com/belts.htm](http://www.safetycops.com/belts.htm) > [@](#): > > Booster Seats are recommended for children who have outgrown their convertible safety seats but are not yet ready for the lap/shoulder belt combination. The lap/shoulder belt works best when a child has reached 60 to 80 lbs. [http://insurance.yahoo.com/a/kids.in.html](http://insurance.yahoo.com/a/kids.in.html) > [@](#): > > 40 to 80 pounds and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall: > > Use a forward-facing, belt positioning booster seat with lap and shoulder seat belt. > > Place shoulder strap over the shoulder and snug across the chest. > Place lap belt low and tight on hips, NOT over stomach. > Make sure shoulder strap is never across the neck, face or arm. I know, she’s 6 and she finds it humiliating to use a booster seat, been there, done that, my youngest had the same problem. You’ll just have to tough it out for her sake. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/5 "2003-05-22T07:25:55Z")
It may be legal where you are for a six-year-old to use only an adult seatbelt. But she’s still safer in a booster seat. Ideally, a child would be in a booster seat until she could sit with her bottom at the back of the seat, her knees bent at the edge of the seat (kids slouch if their knees don’t go that far), and the shoulder belt across her shoulder and not her neck. Unfortunately that’s not always possible, either because the child is too heavy for a booster or because he’s old enough that it’s way too embarrassing. My tall nine-year-old son says he’s still more comfortable in his booster seat, for what it’s worth. The law here says kids can use the belt alone from the age of 8, but several of his classmates still use boosters, too. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/6 "2003-05-22T12:48:15Z")
Thanks for the info! **Duck Duck Goose** hit it on the head, she’s complaining that she’s too old now for a _baby_ seat. But I think this weekend we’ll go shopping for a **BIG girl** (booster) seat! ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/7 "2003-05-22T12:59:04Z")
> [@](#): > > 40 to 80 pounds and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall Is there an age limit there too? If my mom had followed those requirements I would have been in a booster seat until I was 13. ---
**Author:** ![Vixenation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/278dde/32.png) [@Vixenation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vixenation)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-seats-how-old/176632/8 "2003-05-22T14:28:45Z")
My sister would almost still be in a booster seat. She’s 16, 4’11 and 90 lbs.