Booster Seats

Since I have nothing else to report.....

I thought I'd share a few quotes from a recent article in our newspaper regarding booster seats.

Car crashes kill more children than all diseases combined. An average of 5 children age 14 and younger died and 548 were injured in crashes every day in the U.S. during 2007. (most recent stats available)
The odds of a child age 4 to 7 being injured were 59% lower when a booster was used instead of just a seat belt.
Using booster seats does make it more difficult for parents to haul a group of youngsters to a soccer game or an ice-cream stand but then again if only 10 sets of soccer shin guards were available, would the 11th child be allowed to play without them?
A Children's Hospital spokesperson said "Your kids may get mad because you put them in a car seat or booster seat; they may cry or scream, but that's a mad cry. The cries we hear here are cries of pain and cries of hurt, and no family should have to go through that if you can prevent it."

My thoughts on the subject are many but consistent. Booster seats are cheap, they are light weight and easy to move around. I get really upset when I see kids in a car without a car seat. There should be no "its just up the street". Accidents are just that - they are not "on purposes" and they do happen close to home. They happen in an instant and the injuries and memories last a lifetime.

Just make the effort and use a seat for your child every time, every trip, no matter what. You may someday be very thankful and if not I doubt if you'll look back and say, boy I sure regret all the time I wasted buckling my kids.