To think car seats until 12 is a bit OTT?

[ConvenientTruth]

I just looked up the actual law on car seats. Here it is: www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/using-a-child-car-seat-or-booster-seat

Apparently children have to use car seats until the age of 12.

Am I alone in thinking this is a bit ridiculous? Parents of 11.5 year olds, do you all truly honestly still use a car seat?

[Waffles80]

Yeah, attempting to make cars safer for children is totally OTT.

[Noodledoodledoo]

It's 12 or 135cm - so guess if they are taller than this its not necessary - if they are shorter then they need something. Obviously been done based on height in safety tests and I would imagine majority of 12 year olds will be this tall.

This web page backs it up and looks like most would be out of them by 9 years old.

[Howdoesironmanwee]

No, I don't think it's ridiculous, it's 12 or 135cm tall, whichever comes first. It's based on safety testing to do it size and neck strength. How hard is it to comply with?
Why wouldn't you want your child to be as safe as possible?

[Noodledoodledoo]

www.onaverage.co.uk/body-averages/average-child-height

[ShadyMyLady]

My DD is 11yo, she's 138cm exactly and hasn't been on a booster for about 6 months. So no, she doesn't.

[Hulababy]

Its not for all 12 year olds.

It is 135cm OR age 12.

And DD did stay in a car seat until she was 135cm, and for longer journeys it was always a high backed booster. She was a fair bit younger than 12 however.

[Birdsgottafly]

They're not advocating a Car Seat, but a booster seat.

The seat belt not fitting correctly can cause bad injuries and strangulation.

[twinkletoedelephant]

135cm or 12

Dd is 9 nearly 10 and is 145cm and is one of the smallest in her class. (She scraped through the height restrictions at Thorpe park :)
I don't know any parents who keep yjrm on a cat seat until 11 just 135cm.

Though I might make dt2 wait until dt1 is the correct height he is already 12cm taller than his 'big' brother :-)

[ShadyMyLady]

But the only reason she doesn't is because the is taller than the 135cm she needs to be! Otherwise yes, she would be on one until the law states.

[CountryRoadTakeMeHome]

Yes but not many nearly 12 year olds will be shorter than 135cm. My DS reached this height at 8.

[Goingtobeawesome]

I had dc1 in a high backed booster until he was 12. Looking back he could have come out of it sooner as it looked a bit tight but he never moaned. Dc2 and 3 were out sooner as were tall enough (as was dc1) and I realised I'd been a bit pfb with dc1.

[AppleSetsSail]

Completely OTT. My kids have been out of carseats since they were probably 7/8 years old or thereabouts.

[MrsBobDylan]

I'm all for anything which helps people avoid injury/death in a car crash.

[Adeleslostbeehive]

For me, the idea of a 12 year old
In a car seat, something I associate with young children, is quite... Not sure of the word. Embarrassing? I suppose I would feel underdeveloped at 12 needing a car seat. It would be awful on a journey with school friends to be the only one in one
So in that sense, yanbu. But I am
In my 30s, I'm sure When our children are older they'll think we were awful for not having child seats to adulthood or whatever they'll be doing then

[AnnaMarlowe]

My 8 year olds are taller than 135cm, I would imagine that the majority of 12 year olds wouldn't need a seat long before their birthday.

[OvO]

My 11 year old is still in a high backed booster. It's much more comfy as well as safer. Why wouldn't you keep using something that was safer?

[Artandco]

I don't think it's ott. Ds1 is just turning 6, he is 123cm. I wouldn't feel happy with him out of one now, he was rear facing in a full 5 point harness until a year ago. He is now in a regular high back booster and I imagine he will fit another 4/5 years at least even if tall.

[GlacindaTheTroll]

Age 12 or 135 cms, whichever comes first.

A girl on the 50th centile would reach 135 cms a bit before her 10th birthday.

But even those who are very short do not have to stay in child seats once at secondary school (a pragmatic interpretation of the age limit).

[LBOCS2]

DSS is almost 135cm and he's 8.6. It's a safety, not an age thing.

[Artandco]

Mine use the Cybex solution seat. At 6 it's on the smallest adjusting height and adjusts both up and out as they grow.

It's for safety. Survey anyone would opt for a safer option if it's available

[dementedpixie]

Ds is 9 and doesn't use a seat now as he is over the height limit

[Savagebeauty]

Is this a new thing?
Mine were out of car seats by about 9.

[dementedpixie]

It's not that new. It's age 12 or 135cm

[Howdoesironmanwee]

artandco not true re safety would be chosen if available.
I was openly ridiculed and called cruel for keeping dcs rear facing until 4.

[sweetvparsley]

Can anybody help me find any research about the number of children who have been helped since this legislation was brought in (about 10-11 years ago)?