For infants and toddlers up to 40 pounds the safest way to travel is using a five point harness 1.
Five point harness booster seat age.
A forward facing car seat with a five point harness system is the safest option so keep him there if possible.
In california children must ride in an appropriate booster or safety seat in the back of the car until they are six years old or weigh at least 60 pounds.
The great news is that for most kids there is no rush whatsoever to move into a booster seat.
Children are better restrained and consequently safer when secured by a five point harness in a forward facing car seat than when they re using a seat belt in a booster seat.
Children under the age of 8 and less than 57 inches tall must be secured in a forward facing child restraint equipped with a 5 point harness until the child outgrows the top height or top weight recommendations of the child restraint or in a booster seat.
It should not be used until your child is at least 5 years old and will stay seated the entire ride in the back seat with a seat belt across the shoulder and hips.
Allow your child to enjoy his or her favorite drink and snack with the two built in cup holders.
First let s look at the studies that have compared properly fitting seat belts meaning in a booster for kids age 5 and up and 5 point harnesses in similar crash circumstances.
That s right there aren t any.
Not too long ago there were very few 5 point harnessed seats that could hold a child who weighs over 40 pounds.
Notice that as long as possible is the crux of their argument here and that most kids can safely fit in car seats well beyond 4 years because the fact is that most car seat manufacturers make 5 point harness seats that fit kids up to 7 or 8 years old.
This is usually not until at least age five.
The american academy of pediatrics recommends that kids use a car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight for that five point harness.
But many kids are nearing the weight limit by around age 5.
Three year olds are not ready to ride in a booster seat even if they fit within the manufacturer s height and weight guidelines.