I can’t figure out how to determine a full list of the 41 seats that they tested.  I see the 13 that they don’t recommend and the 15 that are good or better bets, but what about the other 13 seats tested?  Our booster seat (Sunshine Kids Monterey) isn’t on either of their lists, so how do I know if they tested it and it just ranked middle of the road, or if it wasn’t tested at all?  I kept my son in a Britax Regent until he was six.  I feel that I am very conscious of car seat safety.  However, I’m not sure I like the way they did this study.  From everything that I’ve heard, a high back booster is much safer than a backless, and yet, there are several backless boosters recommended, solely due to the way it positions the lap belt?  As a previous poster said, it’s hard to rely solely on these types of blanket recommendations.  It is so dependent on your individual child and car.  And while comfort was not their concern in this study, it is a concern for most parents out there.  For example, a Turbobooster has a pretty shallow seat, so as a child gets older, it may be uncomfortable for them because their legs will hang off the edge.  Or some boosters adjust taller than others, so it will fit a child longer.  I’m not an expert, just a mom, but I find this research lacking true usefulness.  But, I guess it’s just one piece of the information pie.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Response to the IIHS Booster Seat/ Belt Fit Report

On Wednesday October 1, 2008, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released results of its study that examined the ability of booster seats to position seat belts appropriately on child occupants. The research suggests that booster seats vary in positioning seat belts; some are more likely to provide good fit, while others are less likely to do so.

Parents should not interpret these findings to mean that booster seats are ineffective. In real world crashes, booster seats are extremely effective in reducing injuries, especially injuries to the abdomen, spine and neck. According to research conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) involving children in real-world crashes from 1999 through 2002, using a booster seat in the
rear seat reduces a child’s risk of injury by almost 60 percent, compared with using a seat belt alone (Durbin et al, Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003). A recent update of this analysis with data through 2007 confirmed this finding.

What should parents do in response to this study?  Before purchasing a booster seat, parents should check to see if it appropriately fits their child and vehicle. Children and vehicles come in all shapes and sizes. Parents should refer to the latest booster fit guidelines at http://www.chop.edu/carseat before deciding on a purchase.

In summary, this study raises awareness of a booster seat’s primary job - to position the seat belt appropriately on the child using it. By drawing attention to this issue, more parents will be armed with the correct information to make the best child vehicle restraint choice and booster seat manufacturers will be encouraged to further optimize an already proven effective restraint.

I also was very wary of belt-positioning boosters for my tall 3-yr-old when shopping for car seats recently.  We bought a Sunshine Kids Radian 80, which we are very pleased with so far, except that the lower seat belt latch could be further forward on the seat - it seems a bit of a tight fit for my son - maybe he has a long inseam!  Anyway, we actually replaced a Britax Regent, which I didn’t trust for a couple of reasons.  First, we realized that the Regent should not be installed without the bar on the back, which was the only way it would possibly fit in our car (the police dept installation expert removed the bar!).  Secondly, my son slumped forward and the belts never seemed very tight.  Thirdly, it was absurdly wide.  Take a look at the SUnshine Kids products!