Compulsary Child Car Seats and Booster seats!! - Hoorah

[Twinkie1]

At last the government are proposing something very very sensible - lets hope people will actually strap their kids in when it comes into force, not let them sit in the front and only have the right number of passengers!!

My big mouth has gone off on one in the last few months a couple of times when I have seen people with lovely cars (so money not an issue) let their kids climb all over the inside of the car when they are driving and one time a lady - ho brags about her 'big' house let 6 children pile into the back of her a class merc!!! - lets hope next time she does it she gets arrested!!

[longwaytogo]

totally agree. Saw a car today with toddler on lap of person in passenger seat. It so infuriates me.

[saadia]

Saw a toddler, pre-nursery age I presume sitting in the front seat without a car-seat or booster seat - just strapped in with the adult belt.

[Posey]

Fully agree, really good idea.
While we're here, can I ask something of those who don't have a car or maybe get an odd taxi or lift with a friend? What do you do about restraining your child? This is in no way accusatory, but very interested as I may be taking kids to visit parents on the train so will have no car seat once there.

[fruitful]

\link{http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_611257.hcsp\DoT info on the new rules}

At least it means that when dd is 10 and still using her booster seat, she won't get teased!

[fruitful]

Oh, just started reading it. Its all a bit of a waste of time. Look at this -

in vehicles where seat belts are fitted, children 3 years to 135 cms in height (approx 4ft 5ins) MUST use the appropriate child restraint.
Three exceptions allow these children to travel in the rear and use an adult belt :

• in a taxi, if the right child restraint is not available;
  
• for an occasional journey over a short distance, if the right child restraint is not available,
  
• where two occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third child seat.
  

So its important for my children to use the right carseat - oops no, its only important for 2 of them and the third one doesn't matter!

[sparklymieow]

does that mean my kids are not allowed to sit in the front while in their carseats??? They love sitting in the front, bit of a pain having to shift seats into the front, so if its not allowed anymore, I can just tell them that mummy will get into trouble and they have to sit in the back.

[fruitful]

No, they can still sit in the front. But they have to be in a carseat or a booster till they're 4ft 5.

[dkdad]

Restraints are important but actual child seats are less so - see the research \link{http://www.freakonomics.com/times0710col.php\here}

[sparklymieow]

what seats are recommended for an 8 year old. DS is a bit big for his hi-backed booster seat, that I brought 4 years ago, when the law was that child had to have a seat up to 6-ish, but as he has CP and slumps when sitting he needs a seat, have carried on using it (I don't care if people think I was a meany for doing it, I wanted to keep him safe)

[misdee]

hmmmmmmz

[misdee]

get an jane indy plus. ISOFIX and the head rest will go up higher as he gets taller.

[misdee]

dkdad, do you use child seats for your kids over the age of 2?

[fruitful]

Dkdad - depends where you read I guess.

\link{http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/289/21/2835\JAMA says booster seats make a difference}

[SueW]

Wonder if this law will be as effective as the one which prohibits use of mobile phones when driving? 30 fine and no penalty points.....

Beats me why people who can afford private school fees and top-end 4WDs won't fork out for hands-free. Bet they won't be able fork out for booster seats either. (Sorry personal gripe)

[fruitful]

\link{http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=71421\lots of stuff here}

(Fruitful has a Google-fest)

[fruitful]

Exactly, SueW. Plus they can just say "ooh, it was an occasional journey" or "oh, the booster won't fit".

[abusybee]

eerrm... what's the difference between a booster seat and a booster cushion? does it mean the seat has a back also?

[Granite]

Can anyone tell me - do you have to keep getting larger size booster seats as the child grows (up to ten!?) - this is going to be difficult for grandparents (me) taking a variety of grandchildren on occasional trips. Also my daughter is a childminder so may have a constantly changing stream of children of different ages and sizes. Will she have to work out every day which seats she needs to put in the car? (not to mention the cost of providing for all ages).

[KeepingMum]

Although I want my children to be as safe as possible when driving, is this new law going to encourage us all to drive much bigger gas guzzling cars. We are expecting no.3 soon and not sure yet how I will fit three seats across the back seat. We don't want to have to buy a bigger car, there would be plenty of space if they weren't all encased in large amounts of plastic. When I was little, we had three of us in the back of a tiny car, because we all had five point harnesses that were attached to the seats. (When little they were attached to red bucket seats, which as we got bigger you removed and used the harness only). It would be great if you could still get these, the only reason you need boosters is because adult seat belts are designed for adults. If we could still get childrens harnesses they would be even safer. However, I remember being so embarassed that my parents insisted that all our friends had to wear the seat belts as well, even up to about age 11. as no-one else seemed to have them.

[dejags]

Granite,

I'd be surprised if you sister is driving children around that she wasn't already making provision for appropriate restraints?

Not being funny but I'd be miffed if my childminder took my child in a car without the appropriate carseat?

[dejags]

Sorry Granite - I meant your daughter

[Hulababy]

AFAI most booster seats last up until the age of 11 anyway. Certainly the two different ones we have do. Once a certain age they can just use a booster cushion which you can get very cheaply. It means the child is lifted and at the right height to use the adult sdeat belt.

I am ony 5 foot and in the backs of most cars I find the adult seat belts too high and uncomfortable. So a younger, smaller child is really not going to be that safe without a booster IMO.

[Bozza]

Granite - you can get a car seat for about £40 that is a high back booster. It would be suitable for a child from weight 33lb (so about 3 or 4) right through to 11, because you can remove the back. They are easy to install (takes seconds). Most babies will be in a removable cradle type car seat. So your only issue is the stage 1 big, hefty car seats that are hard to fit and are for the age group 9 months ish to 3-4 ish.

[nutcracker]

Saw a couple in a car the other day with a toddler on the passengers lap and he empty car seat in the rear of the car. I mean why buy the bloody thing and then let her sit on someones lap in the front.

[dinosaur]

Posey, we're in exactly that position - we don't have a car. We have seatbelt adaptors for the older DSs which we take with us for use in taxis and other people's cars. If we're booking a minicab, we ask them to supply a suitable car seat for DS3, which isn't usually a problem although they always reek of cigarette smoke. In a black taxi we just leave DS3 strapped in his buggy and put the brake on. The big headache is accepting a casual lift when I'm afraid I just hold DS3 on my knee.