NBCSN Nationally Certified School Nurse Practice Exam 2025 - Free School Nurse Certification Practice Questions and Study Guide

Using a booster seat is a critical aspect of vehicle safety for children, as it helps position the seatbelt properly across their body. According to safety guidelines, children typically should use a booster seat until they are about 4 feet 9 inches tall, which usually occurs around the ages of 8 to 12 years. At the age of 8, most children are not yet tall enough to safely use a vehicle's seatbelt alone.

At this age, the child's growth and development allow them to transition out of a toddler seat and into a booster seat, which provides the necessary height for the seatbelt to fit correctly over the shoulder and across the lap. It's important to ensure that the vehicle's seatbelt fits correctly once the child outgrows the booster seat; this usually occurs around the age of 12, depending on their growth.

Other age options such as 6, 10, and 12 years are either too early or too late for the appropriate use of a booster seat. At 6 years, children are generally still using a forward-facing car seat with a harness. By 10 years, many children may have outgrown the booster seat but might not yet fit properly in a seatbelt. Using a booster seat at