What device must be used to ensure children under a certain age are safely restrained in vehicles?

To ensure the safest possible transportation for children under a certain age, a child safety seat is a critical device. Child safety seats are specifically designed to protect younger passengers, as they provide a secure seating environment that accommodates their size and weight, allowing for proper positioning that seatbelts alone cannot ensure.

These seats are crafted to absorb crash forces and reduce the risk of injury during a collision, and they come in various types to accommodate different age groups, such as rear-facing for infants and forward-facing or booster seats for toddlers and older children. The use of a child safety seat is mandated by law in many jurisdictions, including Ohio, highlighting its importance for child passenger safety.

In contrast, while booster seats do serve a critical function for slightly older children, they are used as a transitional device to ensure that the vehicle's standard seatbelt fits properly, and not all children will be ready for a booster seat as soon as they reach the minimum age or height requirements. Regular vehicle seats and seat belts alone are not suitable for younger passengers, as they do not provide the necessary support and protection.