IIHS Finds Car Booster Seats Much Safer Than in the Past

Companies that make child booster seats for vehicles are getting better at designing them to protect kids, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Thursday.

Of the 53 new booster seats IIHS tested, 48 received the nonprofit’s highest rating. Two models of booster seats, which were made by Dorel Juvenile, were not recommended. When IIHS first began rating booster seats about eight years ago, only a quarter of seats earned the highest rating.

“Parents looking for a safe option for kids who have outgrown seats with built-in harnesses have more choices than ever,” said Jessica Jermakian, a senior research engineer at IIHS.

Booster seats are made for children between 4 and 8 years old who have outgrown their car seats. Kids who sit on the booster seats are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared to just using seatbelts alone, IIHS said.

The Dorel Juvenile models that were not recommended were the Cosco Easy Elite and the Cosco Highback 2-in-1 DX. The IIHS said Dorel Juvenile designed seven other boosters that received its highest rating.

“It’s disappointing that they would introduce boosters that don’t do their job when they clearly know how to do it right,” Jermakian said.