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?

That's awful, Murphy laws. I've also just been reminded that I've seen pictures of firefighters carrying children out of accidents in their HBBs - the seat acting as a back and neck board to keep them straight.

The 36kg limit is historical and likely to be arbitrary. When the groups system was invented it was the mid 80s and it probably wasn't dreamed at the time that 12 year olds would still be using seats, but each class was determined by weight rather than height.

The groups system is supposed to keep things simple and what it does allow is for more stringent safety guidelines to be applied to each 'level' or age range. The European safety guidelines are the safest in the world in this way. Other countries and areas allow manufacturers to set the weight and height limit of their seats individually and have more general safety guidelines.

Where the groups system falls down is that it fails to take into account newer information about it being safer to keep children in car seats for longer. Over the years in the US market forces about safety claims have lead to more and more seats suitable for rear facing longer, for harnessing longer, high backed boosters designed for larger children. We have safer seats for each age range but it's still difficult to find a harnessed seat over 18kg and rear facing longer than 13kg has only been really accessible in the last couple of years. Meanwhile it remains legal to put a 4 month old forward facing in the car as long as they weigh 9kg, which the heaviest will.

This is changing with i-size which is height based rather than weight and isn't restricted into age group categories.

Sorry, meant to add. I don't believe that a child who comfortably fits into a HBB will be too heavy for it as they are mostly just belt positioners and plastic. It's different when a seat has an integral harness because the harness is only rated up to the weight stated, but as HBBs and booster cushions use the vehicles seatbelt this should not be a concern. I'd keep using for as long as the child physically fits in. I don't think I'd fit into DS' as my his are too wide.

Hips

You bumped a thread from three and a half years ago to impart your pearls of wisdom?

i dont have kids yet but if i ever do they will never use a baby seat its simply not safe

Let's hope you never do then

You’ve got to be a special kind of troll to dig up a thread from years ago ..
Get a new hobby, you suck at this

SGD is an exceptionally tall 7yo (reached the magic height in the summer just after her birthday) but her DM still uses a booster with a back and 'wings'. Better safe than sorry.

Provide proof that car seats are safe because most of them are not even safety tested correctly

Thats not safety thats a paranoid parent taking the lazy option

Grow up.@Popular

Im a month off of 29 dumbo just because i have aspergers doesnt mean im an idiot imo car seats are child abuse full stop especially rear facing ones

Right ok