10 yr old and car boosters.

[BegoniaBampot]

more to pick your thoughts. I still want to use the booster seat for our average sized 10 yr old. Husband says it's not needed.

[PinkyCheesy]

My sons are 9 and 11 and still using high-back seats (maxi Cosi Rodi), despite both being over 135cm. They see no sense in not using them: comfy for sleeping in, can see out of window, and seatbelt won't decapitate them in an accident (I wrote the car off a couple yrs ago and both were very very grateful for their carseats). Children we give lifts to sometimes comment, never teasingly though, and my kids just say they prefer to be in them as its more comfy. I guess DS1 will want to stop using it when he starts secondary next September....

The law in some European countries (eg Ireland) is minimum 150cm/ 12 years old. Seems like a sensible law to me.

A woman I know fractured her sternum through airbag impact in the front seat (leading to heart bruising and increased blood pressure). This is enough for me to say my kids don't travel in the front seat other than when the car is full of children (and only through the village, max 30mph). Am I over-protective mum? I don't think so

[ImaginateMum]

Have always had the rule that any child in my car goes in a booster. Am having to relax slightly now as some of DS's friends literally hit the ceiling when they try and climb into one. DS is 134 cm so is in one when I have control, but I don't panic where there is not one.

[elah11]

I am in Ireland and the law here is 150cms . Ds 2 is 11 and 143cm so still on a booster seat and will be for a good while yet by the looks of it :) We went to Alton Towers last year (rented a car) and were very surprised to see the law only covers children up to 135cm? I personally think thats too low, if ds2 was to sit in the seat without the booster even now, the belt would be across his neck. Does it really sit in the correct position for a child of only 135cms? Btw he brought his booster and used it in the rental car :)

[foreverondiet]

Don't need one in middle of 2 car seats.

My 9 year old is quite short (def under 135cm) and still uses, but when I give her friends lifts they all refuse to sit on them and say their parents don't make them. I have 6 of them in the car so one for everyone!

Also despite being the law I am not totally convinced that booster cushions actually make it much safer (see freakomonics confirms this).

[f1nut]

Both my boys, 10 & 8 still sit in high back boosters, there aversge sized for there age. Guidlines do say 135cm, iv done a few britax and maxi cosie car seat fitting training courses and seen many mock crash dvds to feel i will keep them as safe as poss in a high back booster so the they hav maximum protection as long as i can, my 10 year old moans sumtimes but he sure appriciates it wen we do a long journey and he got the head surround to fall asleep against, lol.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My 13 yo and 10 yo stopped last year when the younger one could wear a seat belt without it catching across her neck.
Both of them over 135 cm.

I'm a bit PFB with both of them.

One thing that boils my piss is people putting their small DC (not babies in mahoosive seats) in the front when they have an empty back seat.
I've only just started letting my DS in the front. (And he's driven a car at Young Drivers so he's been in the drivers seat himself)