Will my car insurance cover a broken booster seat?

When you are driving around with children in the car, there are so many things to remember and so many distractions that sometimes, important tasks can fall through the cracks, like fixing a broken booster seat.

In an effort to prevent a bigger problem in the future, many car insurance companies will pay to fix or replace a broken booster seat.

The rules can vary by state and by car insurance company so be sure to ask about this beforehand.

Car insurance companies work with government regulatory agencies to ensure that our most valuable assets, our children, are sufficiently protected during travel or in the event of an accident.

Learn more about booster seats below and make sure to compare auto insurance rates for FREE above! 

How can you make sure your booster seat is covered under your insurance policy?

If you have children (or planning for some), then it is crucial to ask about child safety seat coverage when you buy or renew your car insurance policy.

If you are using an older seat, such as one passed down from a big brother or another relative, be sure to check that it is still working properly and that it still meets the current guidelines.

Once you know that it is covered then you can file a claim just as you would for a broken taillight and your car insurance company pay to have it repaired or replaced.

If at any time you are doubtful about the condition of a booster seat, it is best to replace it immediately. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

What are the laws regarding child safety seats?

In each state, the rules can be slightly different regarding booster seats but you should be aware that all states have some kind of law, which states that any children traveling in a motor vehicle must have the right safety restraints.

As a rule, babies under one year of age must be in a rear-facing car seat, toddlers in a front-facing car seat and older children up to eight years of age or 50 pounds should be placed in a booster seat.

While these are the averages make sure you check with your pediatrician and also follow the seat height and weight guidelines.

A booster seat is different from a car seat in that they usually do not have a back panel, meaning they more resemble a stool instead of a chair.

This allows a standard seatbelt to fit comfortably on a child’s shorter frame. It is recommended that you should use a booster seat for your child if a regular seat belt does not fit the child properly.

Also, those with a back panel are considered more ideal than those without. You can incur steep fines and penalties if your child is not properly secured in your vehicle.

In fact, if you have an accident and it is subsequently discovered that your child was hurt because of a non-working booster seat, your car insurance company could deny any claims, and you might even be charged with negligence.

However, this will probably not compare to how awful you would feel if your child was injured in an accident and knowing you could have prevented this pain by simply making sure you had a safety seat in good condition that was used correctly.

Are booster seats important?

Booster seats are typically for older children who are no longer infants but not yet large enough to use a standard seat belt. This becomes especially important if there is an accident.

The seat belts that come with your vehicle were designed by car manufacturers to protect adults.

Their position on the seat is made to fall in exactly the right places on an adult’s body, across the chest and hips, for maximum protection to guard against injury.

Since they are intended to shield adults, seat belts do not adequately protect small children because the straps do not rest correctly on their bodies.

Booster seats provide the solution of raising the child to an adult’s height so that a regulation seat belt will restrain them in the precise areas necessary to prevent them from being hurt when they are in a moving car, van or truck.

Nevertheless, the issue of child safety is not just for accidents. As you drive, there are many incidents in which a child can be harmed if not accurately secured.

When something happens that causes you to stop short, make a sharp turn or hit an unavoidable pothole, you may think about the damage to the car’s brakes or wheel axle.

Being properly restrained in your seat belt, you probably feel little if any effect from the incident.

However, your child smaller frame and different weight distribution may cause them to feel a more severe effect.

In addition, during a more serious event, a child could be thrown around or out of the vehicle if they are not secured correctly, leading to critical harm or even fatalities.

To learn more about the science behind how car seats work, check out this infographic from ParentingPod.com.

What should you know before purchasing a booster seat?

When shopping for a booster seat, you should know what type you need based on the age and weight of your child.

In addition, the manufacturers of most booster seats design them to meet government regulations and will often include a label, which states this.

Checking for this sticker is the easiest way to know that you are buying a legal car safety seat and that your child will be protected. Compare car insurance quotes online today!