buying new car seats for 3, 5 and 7 years olds

[iambach]

I have recently been run off the road by some idiot over taking on a blind corner and this has made me consider the fact that at 3, 5 and 7 my kids are in less substantial seats and wonder if i should invest in a decent 3rd stage seat for them all.

My dh thinks this is a crazy idea as they are around 100 quid for the kiddifix ones. I think their safety is more of a concern.

My 7 year old is 136cm so legally doesnt need a seat and has enjoyed not using one recently or just a booster at most. My 5 year old and three year old are 124cm and 104cm so are quite tall and also have quite wide shoulders (dh is a giant)

Are they going to fit in these seats with their shoulders, do they not start to get tight on them, i know the booster with back we have is tight at the shoulders for my 5 years old.

AIBU wanting to spend 300 quid trying to make them as safe as possible in the car esp as we do a monthly trip to grandparents (400 mile round trip).

My dh says it is crazy as they are getting big and will outgrow seats so quickly.

Not sure what to do.

i only buy britax because they do more safety checks (my friend is a car seat fitter and she only buys britax aswell) so tey arent the most expensive but not cheap either, my dh doesnt argue with me about the children lol but i'd rather pay the money, its not worth the risk

well i kept my eldest in a high back booster for as along as possible, you can get decent ones with good side protection.

and for the 3 and 5 yr old its certainly worth investing as decent carseats, particularly if the ones you have are old and have been used by more than one child. we have 5 children and i used the frist stage carseat for 2 babies then replaced it each time. and did the same with the next stage carseats.

depending on how old your seats are the technology involved in making them has moved on and some newer seats are safer than some say 4 or 5 years old, as you do a lot of driving and it will give you peace of mind then i think its good to have the best seat you can afford :)

i have a 6 and 10 year old in kid fix check you can get all three in your car and also check you can extend them to there full height in the car. They should fit until they are 150cm at least have had a child that height in it

Will you insurance not cover some/all of the cost of replacements anyway?

I would certainly get the best seats you can afford to get.

I have a pair of chicco seats for my DDs, bought specifically because they expand widthways too. So many dont. This, but not isofix!

Can't you claim on your insurance for them if you've had a crash?