Booster Seat Ratings 2009: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released their 2009 booster seat ratings and the results didn't look to good. Out of the 60 booster seats tested only nine ranked in as 'best bets' while eleven of the seats tested recieved the lowest rating of 'not recommended.'

The seats were tested by using a specially-designed dummy the size of a six year-old to simulate the effects of a crash on a child.

Best Bets of 2009:

The booster seat evaulations defined 'best bets' as seats that "are the most likely to position lap and shoulder belts correctly on many children in many cars, minivans, and SUVs."

Good Bets of 2009:

'Good Bets' were defined as providing "acceptable lap and shoulder belt fit in almost as many vehicle belt configurations as the best-bet boosters."

Not Recommended of 2009:

Those booster seats that were rated 'not recommended' were defined as seats that "don't provide good belt fit — the main job boosters are supposed to do." But the category was also labeled with a message saying, "If you already have one of the seats on the not recommended list, don't throw it away. Any booster seat is better than none at all. But take a look at the belt fit, and if it's not doing a good job, replace it when you can with one that works better."

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MANY BOOSTER SEATS AREN’T UP TO THE JOB OF IMPROVING ___

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sourced by Blaine Metzgar