Most boosters earn top IIHS rating, but bad designs still slip through
ARLINGTON, Va. — The latest booster seat ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that child seat manufacturers have mastered something that once eluded them: building a seat that provides good safety belt fit for the typical 4- to 8-year-old passenger.
Out of 53 new models evaluated, 48 earn the top rating of BEST BET, meaning they are likely to provide good belt fit for a 4 to 8 year-old in almost any car, minivan or SUV. When the Institute first began rating boosters in 2008, only a quarter of the seats evaluated earned the BEST BET designation.
Despite this progress, several seats that don’t do their job and are rated Not Recommended can still be found on store shelves. They include two brand new models from Dorel Juvenile.
