Boosters Save?

I have fond childhood memories of fighting the seat belt. Struggling to shove it away so it wouldn’t fit so snugly against my neck or ducking under it so that it sat behind me. I guess that only happened when I sat in front. I can’t remember.

But the point is, both Jordan and I were surprised to hear a public service announcement on NPR telling us we should keep our kids sitting on a booster seat until they’re 4’9”. FOOT FOOT NINE? Seriously? I didn’t cross that threshold until 4th or 5th grade. I’m stunned to hear that kids have to sit in a baby seat until they’re damn near 10 years old.

But it’s true:

Obviously, a shoulder belt that doesn’t fit right is dangerous. But as a kid, I was told to put the top belt behind me. Turns out that’s bad advice.

So is it really that dangerous? In the Austin-American Statesman, Dr, R. Todd Maxson says it’s a matter of life and death, and argues for passage of a bill that would make booster seats mandatory for kids between ages 5 and 7:

Senate Bill 61, awaiting signature by Gov. Rick Perry, will prevent death and permanent disability to children 5 through 7 by ensuring that they are appropriately restrained in a vehicle during a crash.

Current Texas law requires children to be restrained in a seatbelt. That restraint, however, does not provide adequate protection during a crash. Children ages 5 through 7 who are restrained only by a seatbelt are susceptible to injuries, paralysis and death. The simple addition of a booster seat allows the vehicles’ restraining device to better protect the occupant.

That was the case for Ethan Borchers, 5, who was traveling with his mom and siblings to the park when a car struck their van. Ethan was sitting in his booster seat, restrained by a seatbelt. Ethan suffered a concussion and severe laceration, but the booster seat most likely saved his life.

"Without the booster seat, I fully believe that Ethan would have suffered devastating injuries," said Ethan’s father, Bryon Borchers.

In my 12 years of practice as a pediatric trauma surgeon, I talk with parents daily who assume the restraint law is based on scientifically sound recommendations from experts — they assume their child is well protected. SB 61 corrects this gap in our present law, protects children and will save lives.

The fiscal consequence of failure of this bill to pass would be borne by residents and the state. The medical care of hundreds of children suffering injury and permanent disability is estimated at more than $17 million annually. The addition of the booster seat is proven to decrease the burden of injury by 59 percent.

I had no idea.

The anti-nanny-stater in me is thinking this bill was partially a product of the booser-seat lobby. But I wonder. If only I had parents who were physicians or insurance agents. They could tell me whether this booster seat thing is one more thing I’ll have to worry about in four years.