WASHINGTON (AP) - Car booster seats have made strides in
ensuring a proper fit for children in the back seat, according to a
review by the insurance industry, though just over 10 percent of
those evaluated weren't recommended.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its top marks to
21 of 72 booster seats it evaluated for properly restraining
children, or about 30 percent, according to results released
Wednesday. Last year, the Institute only handed out its "best
bet" citation to nine of the 60 seats it reviewed, or 15 percent.
Booster seats are used by children between the ages of 4 and 8
and elevate kids so seat belts fit them better. Seat belts are
meant to be routed across a child's upper thigh and cross over the
middle of the shoulder to provide protection in a crash.
A 2009 study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found
that children ages 4 to 8 who ride in booster seats in the back
seat are 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries in crashes than
children wearing only seat belts. The government recommends booster
seats for children over 40 pounds until they are 8 years old or 4
feet, 9 inches tall.
The Virginia-based Institute focuses on how well the seat belt
fits on an average booster-age kid in most vehicles. It doesn't
conduct vehicle crash tests to evaluate booster seats because the
seats don't restrain children in a crash, seat belts do.
Harmony Juvenile Products had five "best bet" booster seats,
more than any other manufacturer. Dorel Juvenile Group had five
seats that rated either "best bet" or "good bet," the
second-highest designation.
Booster seats built by Britax, Clek, Combi, Dorel, Evenflo and
Recaro had "best bet" booster seats for a second straight year.
Seats by Chicco, Cybex, Graco, Harmony and The First Years joined
the "best bet" ranks in 2010.
In addition to the 21 seats that received the top rating, seven
seats received the Institute's second-highest rating of "good
bet" and 36 were in the middle category because they didn't
consistently fit belts well on most children in most vehicles.
The Institute said consumers shouldn't assume that boosters in
the "in-between" group will fit children in every vehicle.
Parents should try them out to see if the lap and shoulder belts
fit their kids properly and keep looking until they find a good
match.
Of the 72 seats evaluated, the Institute did not recommend
eight, or just over 10 percent: Eddie Bauer Deluxe, Eddie Bauer
Deluxe 3-in-1, Evenflo Express, Evenflo Generations 65, Evenflo
Sightseer, Harmony Baby Armor, Safety 1st All-in-One, and Safety
1st Alpha Omega Elite.
Dorel Juvenile Group, which manufacturers the Eddie Bauer and
Safety 1st seats, said in a statement that it evaluates and
continues to evolve "current products to enhance their performance
with new technologies and designs."
Michael Noah, a senior vice president with Harmony Juvenile,
said the company was pleased with the overall results and said the
Baby Armor seats had performed well in testing conducted by
third-party laboratories for the company.
Evenflo said in a statement that when the instructions
accompanying their seats are followed, "the lap and shoulder belts
will provide the appropriate fit and protection for children of a
variety of sizes."
Anne McCartt, the Institute's vice president for research, said
parents should be wary of lap belts that ride up on the tummy and
shoulder belts that either fall off the shoulder or rub against a
child's neck.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)