What is the narrowest backless car booster seat available?

How old was your child when they stopped using a booster seat in the car?

• Include in your answer: When did your child start riding in a booster seat and why did they convert to a booster seat? When did your child stop riding in a booster seat and why did they stop? Was it a highback booster seat or a backless booster seat? What do you think about the 4 feet 9 inch recommendation? Would you force your child to use a booster seat even after age 8 who are under 4 feet 9 inches have to use a booster seat? If the law said that children under 12 had to be in a booster seat if they were under 4 feet 9 inches tall, would you be angry? Would you follow it? Would you be happy about the new law? I want to get a feel for what people think about these recommendations (Best answer will be given to person who answers all questions)

• Answer:

  Well.... My daughter turned 4 in November and today she rode facing forward for the first time in her life. :) She's 39inches about. In other words, she was rear facing until now. So she has not yet ridden in a booster seat, her current seat is a forward facing H harness car seat. Her car seat forward faces like that until 65lbs. If she outgrows it though, she needs to be at least 6 before I'll consider a booster seat. She shows herself to be growing like my mom did, and my mom was 10 years old and 60lbs at that time, so easily she could be in the H harness car seat until she's 10. I'd rather go with a high-back booster. They give better head protection in an impact for side to side impact. Since booster seats aren't regulated (but car seats are) I'll be trying to keep her out of a booster and just use high weight car seats until she can fit in a normal seat. I don't think it will be a problem, like I said, I doubt she'll outgrow the forward facing seats before she's 10. I think the recommendation makes sense. And yeah, until she is taller than 4'9" I would force her to sit in a booster seat unless the car manufacturers make the shoulder straps shorter. I would follow that law. But considering my daughter rode backwards for longer than 4 years, it should be obvious that I would. :P Add: Tups. I may not agree with everyone, but I'm not going to TD folks on this question because they want honest responses. I also felt it was alright for me to answer even though my daughter isn't in a booster seat because most 4 year olds are in a booster seat by old standards. Her cousin (6 months her elder) started in a booster seat when she was about 2 and they considered us a little wonky for not having my daughter in one by 2. Add: I didn't ride in car seats or boosters... I remember when they put seatbelts in the car for the first time actually and how no one used them. I also remember flying around the backseat, hitting the dashboard, hitting the seats in front of us, and one time the door opened and I started flying out while my dad was taking a corner and he grabbed my arm at the last minute and yanked me back in. I love car seats for that reason, remembering riding without them. I remember my mom would strap down a watermelon or milk so it wouldn't roll around, but there were were flailing around in the back of the truck. :P Speed limits today are higher. 35-45 normally where I live depending on the street. The cars are safer built, but people are more distracted. So I love seat-belts, car seats, booster seats, etc. It's nice to be tied into the seat. Add: The reason for waiting to put in a booster is partly because they have no regulations for boosters (really, there is no testing standard, no regulations, AT ALL.) And partly because most kids before 5-6 don't have adequate bone growth so that they can take a 2 point collision (the H harness spreads it over the entire chest.) There's also concern that they may undo their belt so you have to totally trust them. On top of all of that, if the child is too small then there's been accounts of them sliding out of the seat altogether, since until 5+ the bones are still very flexible. So to me, the minimum age is 5-6. I'm not sure where the legs touching the passenger seat would be dangerous... annoying definitely though, especially when they're kicking that seat. :) But I want to wait until the earliest 5-6, preferably 6. There's just too much evidence for me to go earlier. My daughter was thrilled with riding forwards today though, and fascinated with the red lights and stop signs and all the signals. And a little scared at how fast we seemed to be going.