Most Vermonters do not know that a 7-year-old riding in a car should be in a booster seat.

That finding was among results revealed in a state survey conducted by Macro International for the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP). The study, conducted in June, polled 400 Vermonters about their awareness and understanding of Vermont’s child passenger safety law.

The Vermont GHSP is trying to raise awareness of the law, which was passed in 2004.
The GHSP runs regular Child Safety Seat Check events around the state and has nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians in every county available by appointment. Technicians check each seat to make sure it fits the child, is properly installed, and for recalls and missing parts. Financial help is available to help purchase booster seats, as well as seats for younger children. The following free safety checks are scheduled for October:

BETHEL: Central VT Public Service, Oct. 4; 10am -2pm
FAIR HAVEN: On the Common, Oct. 18; 10am-2pm
ST. JOHNSBURY: St. Johnsbury Subaru, Memorial Dr., Oct. 4, 10am-2pm
WILLISTON: Home Depot, Oct. 11; 10am-2pm

There are also regularly scheduled car seat checks at these fitting stations. For schedule details, or to find other locations that work “by appointment,” visit www.BeSeatSmart.org.
Central Vermont Medical Center: 1st Fri. noon-4pm
Colchester Police Dept.: 1st & 3rd Weds. 3-6pm
Franklin County Family Center: 1st & 3rd Tues. 4-6pm
Morrisville Mobile Fitting Station: 1st Weds. noon-4pm
Vergennes Area Rescue: 1st Thursday 3-6pm; 3rd Saturday 9am-1pm

The campaign, “Be Seat Smart,” aims to raise Vermonters’ awareness of when children are old enough and tall enough to move from a booster seat to using a seat belt alone. Children, as they grow, progress through four stages of safe seating in a car: from rear-facing car seats for infants, to front-facing car seats for toddlers, to booster seats for children until they are tall enough to be buckled up safely using only the vehicle’s adult seat belts.

Children may need to sit in a booster seat until they reach age 13 and 4′9″, depending on the child’s weight and measurements and what vehicle they’re in. Children have the least risk of injury in an auto accident if they sit in the back seat until they reach the age of 13.
A child isn’t ready to forego a booster seat until you can answer “yes” to all 5 of these questions:

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

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