The Best and Worst Boosters Seats in a Car Accident

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has been running safety tests again and this time their target was child booster seats. If you're not familiar with their name, they're the ones who routinely put vehicles through incredibly stringent tests to see which ones will hold up best in a car accident. They award those who create the safest models, and notify consumers, as well as government agencies, when a vehicle is particularly dangerous. What IIHS Looked for in Top Car Seats This year, they tested 41 car seats and placed each one into one of four categories: Best Bet, Good Bet, Check Fit, and Not Recommended. The checked each seat under a myriad of conditions and on models of numerous sizes to verify whether the belts fit properly and would provide adequate protection in the event of a collision. Car Seats Not to Use Only three of the boosters received the rating of Not Recommended. Interestingly two of the three are high-end models, costing parents around 250 dollars.

• Kids Embrace Batman No Back Booster
• Diono Olympia
• Diono Pacifica

Check Fit Several seats operated properly under some circumstances, but not in others. For instance, a seat may work properly in a car, but not an SUV or the belts may sit in the right places on a 40-pound child, but not a 50pund child. IIHS advises parents to verify that the seat works properly with the following models, which were all tested in backless mode, unless otherwise noted:

• Dream On Me Coupe Booster
• Dream On Me Turbo Booster
• Eddie Bauer Deluxe Belt-Positioning Booster
• Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 with Safety Surround
• Harmony Folding Travel Booster
• Maxi-CosiRodi AP
• Peg PeregoViaggio HBB 120
• Safety 1st Store 'n Go

Good Bet Three boosters that are highbacks or were tested in highback mode also achieved Good Bet status. In other words, the belt sits flat across a child's thighs and the shoulder strap crosses snugly over the child's shoulder under most circumstances.

• Baby Trend Hybrid 3-in-1
• Cybex Solution Q-Fix
• Diono Rainier

Best Bet A record-breaking 27 seats earned Best Bet status, and some of the backless models retail for as little as $25, while highback models start at $60. Per IIHS, the best bets for your child if you're involved in a Charleston car accident are as follows:

• Baby Trend Hybrid 3-in-1 (backless mode) and the Hybrid No Back (backless)
• Britax Frontier 90, Pinnacle 90, and Pioneer 70 (all highback models)
• BubbleBum Neon (backless)
• Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)
• Diono Solana (backless)
• Dream On Me Turbo Booster (highback mode)
• Eddie Bauer Deluxe Belt-Positioning Booster (highback mode) and Deluxe Highback 65
• Evenflo Chase and Symphony 65 (both highback models)
• Graco Argos 80 Elite 3-in-1 and the 4Ever All-in-1 (in both highback and backless mode) as well as their Milestone All-in-1 (highback) and Nautilus 3-in-1 with Safety Surround (in highback mode only)
• Kids Embrace Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (highback)
• Maxi-CosiRodi AP (highback mode) and RodiFix (highback)
• Peg PeregoViaggio HBB 120 (highback mode)
• Recaro Performance Booster (highback)
• Safety 1st Store 'n Go (in highback mode and backless) and the Summit 65 (highback)

Charleston Car Accident Attorney

If you or your child have been injured in a collision, a good booster seat can make a world of difference in safety. However, there are no guarantees, and victims are often left with medical bills and other expenses to cover. A court may award you funds to help with costs incurred as a result of the incident, but it helps to have someone on your side to assist you in obtaining a fair settlement. Please contact us for a free consultation suing our online form or speak with one of our attorneys now by calling 1(800)610-2546.