At what age do kids typically pass the 5 step test?

[arivecchi]

A friend's 8 year old is already riding without a booster and I was shocked. He's also shorter than my son so I highly doubt he passes the 5 step test. When do kids typically pass?

[infocrazy]

In certain cars, my newly minted 8 yo (54") does. The only one he has problems with sometimes is the belt not hitting his neck depending on where the seatbelt is mounted. My almost 10 yo was around the same age I think...

That said, the law in MI is 8 and I think a lot of people switch immediately without regard to the 5 step. Right or wrong, there are very few kids in his 2nd grade class still in boosters...and he is one of the tallest!

[daisysmom]

I know I am in the minority on this board, but in real life, everyone in our school stops the booster when they are 8 (frankly, some kids before). We are in a very highly nationally ranked private school (in the top 20 nationally), so we aren't talking uneducated parents .... but there really isn't a booster to be found after 8. In fact, the classes don't even send out a reminder to bring a booster seat for field trips in the second half of second grade -- and I was a driver for some of those - when I asked the teacher she said "either the kids are past age 8 or they just have to know to bring their own". My DD is 54 inches and we are in a GMC Acadia - we stopped officially at 8. We drive a lot of shorter kids tho to swim team and lax and no parents have ever sent a booster with them (and they know that we no longer have boosters).

[KrisM]

DS1 is 11 and is 4'9" and just passed in my minivan. He's not tall enough for the Malibu yet. He's been fine in a Saturn Vue of our friend for a while now.

DD was in a friend's SUV the other day and was very nearly tall enough and she's just turned 9 and is about 54" tall. So, it's quite vehicle dependent.

I'm glad enough people here use them longer than just age 8, which is the law. He has a few friends who were still in boosters well past age 8. It's nice to see people putting some thought into what is safe and best for the kids!

[wendibird22]

In my rural town everyone ditches them at 8yo. DD1 turns 8 next month and is in a Graco Affix HBB and I have no plans to change that. I just got a 2015 CRV and before I put the HBB back in I asked DD1 to sit in the back seat. Her feet didn't touch the floor and the belt came across her neck.

[HannaAddict]

Our private school of uptight doctors and lawyers and tech parents has several second graders not in boosters, but most still tote a bubble bum for carpool unless they are on the tall side. You can be at a "nationally ranked" school and still have parents that aren't up on car seat safety and maybe a bit oblivious if they just ignore the size of their kids. I am always amazed at people driving expensive cars with unsafely installed car seats, not using tethers when it is easy to each and right there, etc. (at all car seat stages). I truly don't get it.

[daisysmom]

I am one of those uptight lawyers, child of an uptight doctor, haha. I have read the research and I am just completely comfortable with not having a carseat. The parents in our school are frankly, as a whole, very well informed on these sorts of things. Reasonable minds can differ on if a booster is really required or if a seatbelt is enough. I try not to judge people by their personal and legal choices.

[arivecchi]

I'm super curious now and will have to test my son but we are not stopping just yet. He still uses a Diono Monterey (currently in HBB mode since we had a long road trip recently). I can't imagine that the seat belt would fit correctly without a booster. In my area, which is also fairly educated and well off, a lot of second graders are still on LBBs. Interesting that this varies by region.

[pastrygirl]

My son is turning 9 and he passes in the middle of my backseat (has passed since last summer, at age 8) but does not pass anywhere else. He is still in a booster, and I also request a booster for summer transportation to school (in a minivan). They get annoyed with me because he's past the legal limit.

If he were to go with someone else, I'd send a booster. If I were to transport another kid that doesn't pass the 5-step in my car, I'd put him/her in a booster (I have several), even if he/she stopped riding in one long ago.

[Joolsplus2]

DD wasn't quite 9 in the third row of my Mazda 5, my older kids were about 11 in the captain's chair of our Ody. Sometimes at over age 8 I send them without boosters for really short trips...cuz...convenience.
Things are better, 8 is better than nothing, but if you're going to have a law, why not just have a good one? Feet flat on the floor, butt all the way back. Any kid can test themselves in any seating position and know immediately. Any cop can tell if it's right.
I live in a very well educated area, too, and use is bare minimum, front seat is common too young... On the plus side, they are in better cars and less likely to get creamed, unlike their less-wealthy age cohorts, who do unfortunately die at much higher rates
But in general, I like to be a good example, and the data DO compel me (Why have .0001 risk, when you can have .00001 risk of quadreplegia or less intense seatbelt syndrome for free with no inconvenience, really?)