Older Children\u27s Sitting Postures when Riding in the Rear Seat

An on‐road driving study comprising six children aged 8‐13 years (138‐150 cm) was conducted to increase theunderstanding of children’s natural sitting behavior during a car ride. Each child was video recorded during apre‐determined 40‐minute route in the rear seat of a modern car. The route was taken twice; once when thechild was restrained using a backless booster and once when the child used the seat belt only.The children spent most of their riding time in a sitting posture with their upper back and shoulders in contactwith the seat back, independent of using a booster or not. Slouched sitting postures were predominantly seenwhen restrained by the seat belt only, but in one case also when using the booster. The booster helped toposition the belt at mid shoulder. In the slouched sitting posture, the booster helped to guide the lap belt belowthe abdomen. Also, the booster helped to keep the children in a more stable lateral sitting posture.The study provides details on sitting behavior of children in the transition age for booster use adding valuableknowledge for future safety system improvements. It also takes into account comfort issues