A child who is 5 years old and weighs 40 pounds should use which type of restraint?

A child who is 5 years old and weighs 40 pounds should use which type of restraint?

• A. Booster seat
• B. Front-facing car seat
• C. No restraint necessary
• D. Seat belt only

Answer: (A)

Restraints must fit the child’s size so the seat belt protects the right parts of the body in a crash. At five years old and around 40 pounds, a booster seat is the best fit because it raises the child so the lap belt sits low on the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest, not the face, neck, or stomach. This positioning helps absorb crash forces more safely than a belt alone would for a child of this size. You move to belt-only protection only when the child has grown tall enough (about 4'9") to fit properly in a lap-and-shoulder belt.

Restraints must fit the child’s size so the seat belt protects the right parts of the body in a crash. At five years old and around 40 pounds, a booster seat is the best fit because it raises the child so the lap belt sits low on the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest, not the face, neck, or stomach. This positioning helps absorb crash forces more safely than a belt alone would for a child of this size. You move to belt-only protection only when the child has grown tall enough (about 4'9") to fit properly in a lap-and-shoulder belt.