Exact age your child needs to use a booster seat until

BOOSTER SEATS RAISE A CHILD’S BODY TO A SUITABLE HEIGHT SO THAT THEY CAN BE SECURED USING AN ADULT SEATBELT 11:16, 20 May 2025 Children need a booster seat because they are not tall enough

to sit with the lap belt correctly positioned across their hips and the shoulder belt properly across their chest and shoulder. A booster seat ensures the shoulder belt rests across the

child's shoulder and chest, rather than their neck or face, which is essential for proper protection. Booster seats raise a child’s body to a suitable height so that they can be secured

using an adult seatbelt. Unlike child seats, they don’t have their own fastening system and solely use the seatbelt to secure the child. According to Gov.uk, children must normally use a

child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first. Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt. There are different types of seats

that parents can choose for their children to use based on their height and weight. These include height-based seats and weight-based seats. Article continues below Height-based seats are

known as ‘i-Size’ seats. They must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. Your child can use a forward-facing child car seat when they’re over 15 months old. The seat your

child can use (and the way they must be restrained in it) depends on their weight. The government website has more information about this here. A doctor can issue an exemption certificate if

a child is unable to use a restraint or seat belt because of their condition. A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the

vehicle does not have one. In most cases, children under three must always be in a child car seat: THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT IF: * the child is in a taxi or minicab * the child is in a

minibus, coach or van * the child is on an unexpected journey, for example an emergency * there’s no room for another car seat HALFORDS HAS ALSO SHARED RULES SURROUNDING BOOSTER SEATS. HERE

ARE THE CURRENT LAWS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Article continues below * All children must travel in a car seat (including booster seats) until they are either 12 years old or 135cm (150cm in

Republic of Ireland) in height, whichever comes first. * Backless booster seats: Any new backless booster seats can only be used by children who weigh 22kg or more. If they weigh less than

this, they’ll need to either use a car seat or a high-back booster seat (see below). * High-back booster seats: On the other hand, booster seats with backs can be used by children weighing

between 15-36kg. Again, before they reach this weight, they’ll need to use a car seat.