At what age can a child travel in a vehicle without a car booster seat?

At what age can a child travel in a vehicle without a car booster seat?

Stephanie Tombrello (Child Passenger Safety Educator & Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe USA) gives expert video advice on: What are the different styles of booster seats available?; What type of car booster seat should I buy?; How can my child travel safely if he refuses a car booster seat? and more...

Of course every state has a different law concerning this, but the purpose of traveling in a booster seat is to fit the safety belt, with the shoulder-lap belt in the vehicle sitting comfortably on the child's body. Therefore this is a two variable problem. In other words, one variable is the child, but the other variable is the car. So the only way to know if a child has grown out of their booster seat is to use the five-step test. Have the child sit in the vehicle with his or her back firmly against the vehicle seat back. While sitting that way, the child must also be able to bend his or her knees over the front of the vehicle seat. The shoulder belt must rest comfortably between the neck and the top of the arm. The lap belt must fit on the tops of the thighs, not up on the abdomen. And the child must be able to sit in that position for the entire trip, regardless of how long it is.