Speaking of Car Seats, Can Someone Please Explain to Me Why...

It shouldnt.....its a catch all for what is typical to prevent mistakes. Unfortunately some people will not read the specifics and look for common sense exemptions in their own children. The age is what fits most cases but certainly not all. My tall, long torso-ed children were ready for their next stages WAY before their time. They were front facing/ convertible before 1 and in the booster before age 3......to have done differently would have been putting them in danger.

As a couple people have mentioned and counter to what another couple have said... it's about muscular and skeletal development as well as size.

To move from a forward facing seat to a belt positioning booster you need to be 1)big enough for the belt to hit you properly with the booster and 2)have a body that is strong enough to withstand the force of a crash protected only by the seat-belt.

The move from rear to forward facing is even clearer. Rear facing seats place the seat in the direction the car is moving so that very young children don't experience whiplash (your body moving forward after the car has stopped and then snapping back). Even a giant 6 month old, does not have the strength to withstand a crash seated upright and forward facing.

Similarly, even very tall children cannot ride safely in the front seat with an airbag. Internal decapitation isn't about your height, it's about the strength of your spine.

HTH
T.

I'll also add this from the Kyle David Miller Foundation:
What exciting news this is!!! The American Academy of Pediatrics has officially said we should keep children rear facing until they are 2. It is suggested that we keep kids rear facing until 2 as a minimum, however, best to keep them rear facing until they reach the rear facing limits of the child restraint. If your child outgrows the rear facing weight of your car seat before their 2nd birthday, it is time to look at another seat that has a higher rear facing limit. Research has shown that children are 5 times safer rear facing than they are forward facing. Rear facing helps allow for the restraint system to absorb the crash forces, not the child. In the event of an accident, children are cradled into the seat to help protect them and reduce their injury.

There are more seats on the market today with rear facing limits of 35lbs and higher. Some seats even rear face up to 40lbs. and 45lbs. These seats will help you reach the 2 year mark and higher with ease.

Children that are forward facing already, and are within the weight limits to continue rear facing should be turned back around. If your child is rear facing, continue to keep them rear facing until they reach the limits of their restraint.

When your child outgrows this limit to rear face and you turn them around, harnessing seats go as high as 85lbs. It is just as important to harness them for longer, just as it is to rear face them longer. We suggest harnessing them until you no longer can. Depending on the child this can get you to 8 years old or even more with a 5 point restraint. Harnessing them helps reduce the crash forces off them, eliminates the question of if the seat belt is properly positioned on the child, and if they are ready for it.

Booster seats are for big kids. Children from roughly 7 years old up to as much as 12 even. It is important to make sure your child can sit with their knees bent properly over the edge of the seat, the belt lays correctly over their hips, the shoulder belt lays properly across their shoulder, and they can sit where they need to be without moving around. They must also be 4'9".

It's recommended to keep the child rear-facing for 2 years now because of head and neck development. In a colision, the younger child will be safer if rear-facing.

As for older children transitioning to a booster seat, I suspect it has a lot to do with maturity. A child under the age of 4 may not be mature enough to sit still but may be physically capable of slipping out of the seat belt or unbuckling it.

I think it is a maturity question. My 3 yo, while large enough, is not mature enough to only use a booster. He keeps slipping the seat belt strap off his shoulder and under his arm. So I'll keep him in a 5 pt harness for awhile longer.

For younger kids, their age is a factor because of their spinal and bone structure development. For older kids, the relationship is more social I think.

Sadly, my four year old is quite large (65 pounds) and is at the weight limit of her five point harness. I have tried and tried to find another one that fits her, but even the ones that SAY they go to 85 or 90 pounds have straps that are too short. I am considering moving her to a booster with seat belt only because my doc says it's safer than having her in a harness once she exceeds the weight limit. If anyone can recommend a seat with a five point harness for a larger child, please post it for me!

My understanding is the age has to do with the development, strength and age of internal organs. With a background in physiology, the organs have different strength and stages of "ability to heal". So the age requirement has to do with the results of a potential accident on the inside of your kid's body.

I think in the new regulations they are moving away from the age requirement and moving more toward height and weight, since it doesn't make sense.

Like all things plastic goes bad...although they say it is around forever...the strength and saftyness goes bad...ever seen a plastic toy from when you were a child and seen all the cracks in it!! Especially outdoor toys that go through the elements really not really cold.

That was sort of what i was asking, you did it better. I was thinking that the wording was they had to be so tall AND at least that age. Not either or.

Just please please everyone keep your kids safe!