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?

I find it odd that any child now age up to 11 or 12 would be embarrassed by a car seat as the law has been in long enough that it would have always been the expectation. I can understand it being an issue for 9-12 year olds when the law came in though.

fidel1ne - why would a child be humiliated or psychological damaged because they used a product that was entirely appropriate for them and their peers?

You can't see why? If for example a child was the shortest one in their -new- 1st year secondary school yeargroup? The only one still using a booster seat?

Under 135cm at the age of 12 is really quite noticeably short. Short enough to draw the odd stupid comment from unpleasant children.

And secondary transition can be tough.

A booster seat isn't humiliating. It is safe.

Adults only think of it as humiliating as children didn't used to have car seats, and originally seats were only for little ones.

But we (informed adults) know better now.

My 11.5 yo is still in a booster seat as she isn't yet 135cm. It helps her see out of the window too.

Think about bike helmets. Never had them when I was young. Now they are common place for children and adults.

Some 11 year olds are well under 5'. An adult seatbelt in most cars does not fit them properly. Nothing OTT about using a seat that makes them a little taller so a seatbelt doesn't throttle them or crush their innards in a crash.

Current testing shows a dc is more likely to survive a car crash if in the best position for a seat belt to work. So in the days when I was a dc you only had a booster until about 3 and even then it was just when my mum remembered and was more about me being comfortable so the belt didn't rub my neck. Now we know much more about safety so why wouldn't a parent ensure their dc was as safe as possible?
Peer pressure is the hardest thing. Dd1 is 7 and hardly any of her friends have high backed boosters. I've just said that as we do long journeys and she often sleeps in the car on those journeys that the back bit makes it more comfy and stops her leaning on her sisters! I wish more parents followed the advice.

I'd imagine plenty of parents thought it was OTT for children to have to wear seat belts in the back of the car in the 80s. Do you think it's sensible that DC have to wear seat belts?

Ds1 is 11 & still in a booster seat. Just measured him & he's 1.37m so could manage without I suppose. He's still so small so it's never occurred to me no to use it. He did have a high backed booster seat until recently but decided it was a bit babyish now!

Ds3 is 9.7 and 135cm exactly. He travels in a high back booster and doesn't have any problem with it. All his close friends are still in high back boosters too.

DS is very small for his age, he is 11.5 and has been off a booster for about a year. He is 140cm. DD1 is almost 9, she is 135cm and has been off a booster since the summer.

We drove to Belgium in ?May and, as the rules in France are different, DD1 was back in a HBB and DS on a booster.

Yes we're in Germany and it's 150cm here, not that most people bother to stick to it that long... 7 seems to be about the upper age, bizarre. We still make DS sit in a high backed booster at 7 but most of his friends, even younger ones, have booster cushions or nothing.

I do feel okay with him occasionally travelling without a booster seat at all if there is some reason that one isn't available but I can see that the belt doesn't fit his pelvis properly so I definitely wouldn't plan on it. I also think he'd be fine on a booster cushion now, but the high backed one looks so much more comfy and he agrees.

YABU, Completely and utterly unreasonable.

Under 135cm at the age of 12 is really quite noticeably short. Short enough to draw the odd stupid comment from unpleasant children.

I would rather teach my child to deal with the odd stupid comment than break the law when driving, especially a law put in place to protect my child.

A booster seat isn't humiliating. It is safe.

Of course it isn't but, as I said, being the last of your group to use one or being the only kid in secondary scool to use one might give a child of short stature some issues and they might consider it humiliating.

Being that small at that age is really quite unusual, after all.

My dd was taller than me by age 11. They both stopped using car seats long before the age of 12. I don't know any 12 year olds who still use them.

My eldest DC is 11 and still uses a high backed booster. In this neck of the woods you have to be at least 150cm tall to travel without one. DC doesn't complain and isn't embarrassed either but that wouldn't make any difference to me I'd jusy say tough shit

www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/9228978/Mother-found-negligent-for-childs-injuries-after-using-wrong-car-seat.html

This is a sad case where parent chose booster over 5 point car seat incorrectly for a 3 year old

Not aware of any reported cases re none use of booster seat where child under 135cm

Adults only think of it as humiliating as children didn't used to have car seats, and originally seats were only for little ones.

No I doubt adults think like that at all Teen TBH.

We're not the ones navigating the playground and the canteen and puberty and the delicate social nuances of adolescence.

Something I have seen which is utterly shocking though is that video of not putting children in winter coats in their car seats. I didn't know that when my dc were little, it is a very scary thing to see.

That's a good point Bobbity, I don't think I could name an 11 or 12 year old I've known in the past decade who was under 135.

So my point is probably only rarely applicable.

But our children have grown up with car seats as standard. When I was 10 it would have been very weird to be in a car seat or on a booster, but my children absolutely expect to sit in them. I think those talking about humiliation - in primary aged children at least - are projecting.

DC1 (7) is only just under 135cm. It's unlikely we'll ditch the HBB any time soon as he still has the heavy head of a child, and the side impact protection system is still worthwhile. However, I probably will stop insisting he use a HBB or booster when getting lifts with other people.

It would be more convenient not to use the HBB because of how bulky and therefore cumbersome it is in our car (converts 5 to 7). I think the real question will come when the younger children get closer to 135cm and the end of car seats full stop comes into view. There will be so much more room!

I think those talking about humiliation - in primary aged children at least - are projecting.

No I said 'humiliation MrsH and I specified 10 and 11 year olds, (who by definition would be sensitive about it if they will still under 135 at that age).

And FWIW our 8yo is over 135cm. He's fine with the seatbelts in the back of some smaller cars, but the one in the back of ours nowhere near fits him. As it is, we have him in a SN seat with a 5 point harness because he has severe learning difficulties and doesn't stay behind a seatbelt reliably.

I think that backless boosters should continue to be made, but they need to be slightly wider and only permitted for kids above about 130cm who don't fit in a HBB any more, but still need the extra height.

I just keep mine in carseats til they fit seatbelts, which is about age 10. Dd age 9 loves hers anyway. Dont know where these embarassed kids are?

This is interesting. Where I live (western Canada) the height recommended to stay in a booster until is 145cm. The law says that 9 years and up can ride just with the seat belt but they reckon they are too short really until they hit 145cm.

First video: Low booster vs HBB. This is pretty convincing IMO about the need for the extra protection, it's not even the side wings particularly (in this type of crash) but that little clip holding the seatbelt close onto the child's shoulder with a high backed booster. Ignore arms flailing about, what you're looking for in crash tests is movement of the main part of the body (shoulders to hips) - less is better - movement of the neck, any sharp movement will cause injury, and anything where you can see the dummy "folding" over a seatbelt or strap or the straps/seatbelt cutting into any part of the body is very bad as this shows what would on a human cause internal injury. Try to imagine also the distance of the other seats, car doors etc - if the dummy is moving from the normal seat area into an area where these things would be present, that's a blunt force trauma injury too, that can kill instantly if it happens to the head.

Then the second video shows what looks like two fairly large child dummies (judging by the height, 7y and 10y? Hard to tell.) and what happens without a booster - this is called submarining.

Third is clearly labelled, 10 year old dummy. Clear submarine and that neck movement looks brutal.