To think 7 & 8 year olds need car seats

[justalittlelemondrizzle]

My 7 & 8yo dds use booster seats in the car. Ive been shocked recently with people not bothering to use them. Dds were taken out last week by a friend. I asked if I should get the dd's seats and they said its fine as their 6yo doesn't need one anymore so my dds will be fine as theyre taller than her. Luckily dd's insisted they wanted their seats so I avoided a potentially awkward convo. I'm not one to preach to people about their parenting.
Another friend gave my eldest a lift home the other day, when she was dropped off, I went to the car and she wasn't sat on a booster and neither was her dd or 6yo son!
I took dds friend out today and she got in the back in the middle seat with no seat, I had a spare seat in the front for her and she moved but said she hadnt sat in one of these for ages.
These are all different children btw and none of them are taller than my eldest who is 125cm.
Is this the norm? Are people just not that fussed or am I OTT?

EuroNcap videos give a very clear visual of how important car seats are for children (I had to show my parents this as my dad is of the school of thought that he doesn't need car seats all the time as he's not planning on having an accident - cos as we all know that's how accidents work ) and you can also look up videos of how your car fares!

I think it's a load of BS and just an excuse for parents to baby their children, honestly. Car seat manufacturers get to make even more mone yout of guillible parents with these absurd guidelines that 12 year olds need a booster seat. At 10, I had periods, hips, budding breasts and was maturing into a woman, as were many of my peers. I can't imagine how ridiculous some of these kids look in their booster seats.

The whole 'safety' thing is just a red herring, parents do it because they like to baby their children for as long as possible and insist it must be true "because the law says so".

This is something where the law and practice has changed massively in the last 30 years. I remember riding in the front passenger seat at 8 when my dad took me food shopping.

I sympathise with the kids who think boosters are babyish because they'll always look babyish to me. But understanding of health and safety has moved on and so has the law so I guess parents have to say "babyish or not, it's the law" and abide by it.

I'm a bit worried about the poster upthread keeping their kid in a booster while his feet go numb. That doesn't sound right at all and could be more dangerous than not having a booster.

My son is 8.
I got into an awkward conversation with a Mum who was scrounging a lift at a club to stop her coming back. She tried to make me feel bad for saying no as no car seat. I had looked at the child needing a seat and knew he wasn't at legal minimum. He is shorter than my son. Even at legal minimum the seat belt often doesn't fit sufficiently and in other countries the minimum is 150cm.

It was awkward because she was arguing with me and clearly didn't realise her error. I am a trained child car seat safety expert and wasn't taking any of it

Flowers what a naive post. I don't baby my dc I simply want them to have the best chance of survival without life changing injuries in the event of a serious crash.

The whole 'safety' thing is just a red herring, parents do it because they like to baby their children for as long as possible and insist it must be true "because the law says so"

lol.

"The safety thing" Is intensively researched, statistics are gathered, manufacturers of cars and car seats reproduce accidents. It's not just made up.

Even if it weren't law. I'd still use car seats because if I have an accident, it is statistically more likely my child will survive or not be seriously injured.

Even if you had boobs and hips at 10, it does not mean you were tall enough. A seat belt is designed to sit in a certain position across the body. If you don't meet the height, the seat belt itself can cause serious injury to your chest, neck and abdominal organs.

Glad I read this thread I'm going to put the booster back in now.

My son occasionally moans about his booster seat and friends not having one. I say their parents don't realise it's not safe to ride without one.

On the odd occasions we give lifts then they have our spare high backed booster . Sometimes they comment that this is babyish I'm not using it. I simply tell them this is the safest way for you to travel so please do your seat belt up. They rarely argue back and normally move on to my daughter facing the wrong way. I explain that rearfacing is safer and its like astronauts travel.

Good decision goat

American but principle the same.

I'm quite happy to be classed as 'babying' my 7yo 130cm DD. She'll sit in her HBB until she's too tall for it and I can't possibly squeeze her in, and certainly while she's in primary school.

Seeing some of the lunatics on the roads around us and particularly as we spend a lot of time on the motorway, I'll do anything to keep her as safe as possible. Whether she has hips and breasts is neither here nor there if she isn't tall enough or heavy enough for the seat belt to work correctly!

If you have to put a child in the front seat then the safest way to do it is to move the front seat as far back as possible to protect them from airbag deployment.

It's far from a red herring. I'm a short adult and when I was in a car accident a few years ago the two nastiest injuries I received were from my seatbelt. My new car has a height adjustable driver's seat and it's made a real difference to how the seat belt fits.

I find it baffling people spend so long (and so much money) choosing prams, cots, childproofing etc yet car seats are such a low priority.

Where the seatbelt fits on our bodies is a serious issue and far from a red herring! Both my boys are far beyond the limit for requiring a high back and could legally use a no back booster. Indeed, ds1 aged 10 does not currently have to use a booster at all, legally. However they are both still in their high backs because they haven't outgrown them weight or height wise, and they are far safer in them with side protection than on no back boosters without. The multi millions of pounds of science research says you're very, very wrong Flowers!

"The whole 'safety' thing is just a red herring, parents do it because they like to baby their children for as long as possible and insist it must be true "because the law says so"

^Riiiiiight"

And the speedo on your car is a government conspiracy too is it? We're not really all travelling at 70mph, that's just an illusion, yes?

And if a child is in an impact at 70, or even 30, how well a seatbelt restrains them has nothing whatsoever to do with the amount of injuries they sustain, or are protected from. The human body and neck are robust and have evolved to withstand impacts at high speeds, because .. ummm ... oh wait, no they haven't.

Safety law is a red herring? What a ridiculous statement!

"rearfacing is ... like astronauts travel"

That's a good one, thanks I'll use that. The DC love space stuff.

Backless boosters will NOT be illegal for under 12. The height and weight limits are changing.

There are laws. Follow them .

Flowers you'll feel differently about this when you have your own children.

1. Most people aren't prepared to take any changes with their beloved child's safety.

2. "Because the law/government says so" is actually pretty damn important when it comes to children - society takes a pretty dim view of parents who don't properly look after their children.

I'm a bit worried about the poster upthread keeping their kid in a booster while his feet go numb. That doesn't sound right at all and could be more dangerous than not having a booster.

Don't be worried. His feet aren't numb throughout every car journey It has happened rarely, and only on a long journey, I'm trying to find out which seats have a longer pitch before we go on holiday.

Thanks for replying AnnPerkins, didn't notice the user name before but since you're a nurse you should be on top of it.

So can anyone hazard a guess as to what might be the requirements for hiring a car with kids?

I live overseas, have DS1 (4 years) on a regular booster and DS2 (2 years) in a forward facing seat. I drive a big SUV so quite high up. Not sure what the law is for car seats here (Caribbean) but assume its in line with the US requirements.

When we came to UK to visit last September we just brought the booster for DS1 and a convertible car seat/stroller for DS2. If it becomes law for kids under the height requirements to be in a HBB, how do those travelling and hiring vehicles manage?

current UK car seats law:

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/using-a-child-car-seat-or-booster-seat

from Dec 2016, backless boosters will only be approved for kids taller than 125 cm and heavier than 22kg (up from 15kg)

if you own the backless booster before Dec 2016 you can continue to use it, although it is obviously worth considering the new figures. The problem will be solved when your child gets taller and heavier.

ignore drunken-journo and 'think of the children' screams that backless boosters will become instantly illegal for all under 12s. That's rubbish but there are stupid rumours and posters going round.

Trunki backpack hbb Stoke? You can hire hbb with the car but they generally look as if they are the cheapest available and have been thrown up on then left out in the rain... hire one for a week and you could buy three the same new with change.