Michigan Booster Seat Safety Guidelines–Keeping Your Children Safe #MIcarseats #IC

This post was sponsored by The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Booster Seat Safety - Michigan

Keeping kids safe has been one of my passions for a very long time. Over 10 years now I have been sharing info with fellow moms on the rules, regulations, and guidelines in relation to car & booster seat safety. As the years have progressed & my children went off to school I started to notice something. A lot of parents at drop off & pick up didn’t have their kids restrained, especially once the kids got older. That is something that really bothers me.

When our kids are babies we want to wrap our precious bundles up in bubble wrap & protect them from the world. We’re obsessed with keeping them as safe as can be. Ever seen the comment section of a picture where the mom doesn’t have the baby buckled up properly? That should tell you all you need to know. But somewhere along the line, as the children get bigger, parents tend to get more lenient. Maybe it’s the long nights of no sleep, the early morning hubbub and trying to get everyone out the door, or just the fact that they want to get home as soon as possible after a long day of work. Somewhere along the lines parents let their guard down.

Safety Guidelines

These days we can’t really say we didn’t know because we have the whole world at our fingertips! If you’re confused on the laws, regulations, or guidelines in your state there is plenty of info out there! For parents that live in Michigan, you can check out the website for the Office of Highway Safety Planning, otherwise known as OHSP. The law states: Children must be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4-feet-9-inches tall. Children must ride in a seat until they reach the age requirement or the height requirement, whichever comes first.

It’s Up to You Mom & Dad

We all know older kids might seem grown up, but you have to remember, they’re not. WE need to make the right decisions for them, and putting your child in a booster seat until they are old enough or big enough, is one of the best decisions you can make. My own children stay in 5 point harness seats until they’re 8 years old or 4 ft. 9, but if we’re renting or in another car, booster seat it is! A lot of parents want the flexibility of using a booster seat because they’re easier to get in & out of the car and well, let’s face it.. your big kid won’t be as reluctant (there comes a time around 3rd grade they might not think it’s cool to sit in a car seat).

Need More Convincing?

No matter how grown up they seem Adult seat belts don’t fit or protect children shorter than 4’9” the way they should. A booster seat can help!

Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children aged 4–8 years when compared with seat belt use alone. For older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by approximately half.

Michigan children ages 4-7 have a low rate of booster seat (49.7 percent) use. Research suggests parents underestimate the risk and/or are unfamiliar with or confused about child passenger safety best practices.