AIBU to say the new booster seat law totally confuses me?

[CharlieDimmocksbosoms]

Just that really. I know from April the law changes on what age/weight/height child can use a booster seat but can someone clearly explain it for me please?

[iMogster]

I think if all children up to 12 are in HBB then it won't seem babyish just the norm. Safety is paramount.
Btw, good point brought up about airbags in front passenger seat if a child is sitting there.
I'm still surprised how many kids I see getting into their car seat and wearing a big puffy coat.

[littledinaco]

m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7bTQsU_4Mo

Winter coats

[5moreminutes]

imogster "I think if all children up to 12 are in HBB then it won't seem babyish just the norm. Safety is paramount."

The thing is this will never be the case as some 12 year olds are 170cm (5 ft 7) plus and 9 stone!

Stand in a year 7 classroom and you'll see children ranging in size from possibly under 135 up to above average female adult height.

So there will always be the element of "my friend doesn't go in a booster (because she is taller than my mum) but I have to (because I haven't hit puberty and had started the big growth spurt yet)" among the 10-12 year olds. TBH I know two 9 year olds who are also comfortably over 150cm tall and it would also be ridiculous to put on booster seats!

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

Agree once puberty hits, some children (even primary school children) can be the size of an adult so clearly don't need a hbb.

And on the other end of the scale, you get very small and light 12 year olds who are not 150cm.

The small kids are small- they know it and everyone else knows it. If they are getting teased because of their height, using a hbb at age 11 won't be the centre of the teasing.

The problem with HBB comes as pp have stated with giving other people's children lifts. People can't afford and don't have space to carry spare HBBs in their cars.

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

Incidentally, I have just looked at the height and weight charts.

The 50th centile hits 125cm for both boys and girls at around 7 1/2 years old. (And for 22kg, at 6 1/2).

The 50th centile hits 135cm for both boys and girls at around 9 1/2 years old.

The 50th centile hits 150cm around age 12 for both boys and girls.

[Basicbrown]

The 50th centile hits 125cm for both boys and girls at around 7 1/2 years old. (And for 22kg, at 6 1/2).

I am about the need to include the weight requirement. DD is a slight super skinny type and even she was over 22kg by the time she hit 125cm. Any child who was under it would either be a few g so I imagine irrelevant or a trip to the GP is needed.

[littledinaco]

Children over 150cm aren't the issue. It's children well under this height who are not in HBB.
I don't think it's about children being teased for being small, it's other children who should also be in a HBB asking why DC use a HBB and saying they are babyish, etc.

In relation to taking other people's DC, I can understand not everyone can afford space seats (but if you spend £25 on a spare seat and use it from taking DC friends through primary, the cost per year is minimal). I do know not everyone can afford this though but probably a lot who can don't.
I know if you've got other DC the seats may not all fit in the car but in cases where they do, I don't understand why you would put someone else's DC at risk like that. I know the chances of a crash are slim but it does happen and imagine phoning the parents to say their DC is seriously injured/killed but yours is ok because yours was in a HBB.
You wouldn't drive someone else's baby or toddler without the appropriate car seat would you?!

[5moreminutes]

little most people would put the visiting child in their own child's HBB unless one of their own children was significantly smaller than the visiting child though - that's pretty much always what is done IME and what I do (if transporting 4 children including one of DC3's friends then friend takes DC3's HBB and he takes a booster cushion, though if transporting a friend of one of the older children they would not take DC3's seat unless he is not in the car, although a couple of them would fit they are all 3+ years older and even the shortest is 10cm taller so DC3 stays put).

The same way that when DC3 was still in a group 1 seat aged 3 or just turned 4 and DC2 was in a HBB aged 7 and we transported a friend of DC3's as small/ light as or smaller than him the friend would go into the group 1 seat DC3 would move the HBB and DC2 to a booster cushion in the middle, or if we transported a friend of DC2's in those days they would take the HBB and DC2 would move etc etc.

Nowadays I'd have to carry a spare HBB in the small boot all the time meaning not enough room for shopping/ sports kits/ enormous school bags etc. if I wanted to have a spare just in case, as usually I transport only one child who fits into a HBB and a spare taking up a seat would prevent me fitting all my other children in the back! We often agree spontaneously to take random children home with us and sort it over the phone, and similarly for our kids going home with their friends and I, like other parents, wouldn't be going home in between to pick up different seat combinations so just have one extra booster cushion and juggle children around as works best.

[BertieBotts]

I wouldn't carry spare HBBs. I would carry a spare cushion booster or two but mostly I'd leave them at home. Actually we have an old HBB in the cellar where one of the side impact parts is broken which could probably be used in an emergency. But it's never really come up - if we've transported other kids they've mostly come with their own seats.

[amammabear]

Basicbrown "I am  about the need to include the weight requirement. DD is a slight super skinny type and even she was over 22kg by the time she hit 125cm. Any child who was under it would either be a few g so I imagine irrelevant or a trip to the GP is needed."

My son is 126cm and 19.5 kg

[BertieBotts]

They've included the weight requirement because the whole R44 regulation on car seat categories is based on weight. Height is actually irrelevant for R44 but I expect they've included that because it makes more sense, and because it ties into the newer i-size regulations.

[llangennith]

Don't get a Mifold! I was one of the original funders and it seemed a brilliant seat Just the thing for DGS (then 8yo) whose back is too long for any high back booster.
When it finally arrived last summer we discovered it's far too fiddly to do up and even harder to get the child out. Even with our combined effort it took well over a minute. It says it confirms to UK and EU standards, but not with regard to getting out quickly as in an emergency.
They must've had a lot of complaints like mine because they rushed out a new video showing easy the procedure was showing a skinny girl buckling up and unbuckling. However, all the 'bits' of the seat and straps were in the optimum place whereas irl that doesn't happen.
If anyone want to try it PM me

[Basicbrown]

I'm sorry Ammabear that must be very worrying

[amammabear]

Basicbrown he's essentially ok, he's only just classed as underweight- it just shows how wide the range of "normal" is though.

[Basicbrown]

Are you sure? According to the NHS BMI calculator that is zero percentile as is 20 and 20.5. To be 1st percentile he would need to be 21. 22kg is 7th percentile, so would still be not that much over the underweight. That looks very underweight to me. Unless your scales aren't quite right at lower levels? Mine always underweigh my daughter. She tends to be about 15th percentile for BMI so if she went down a kilo would be classed as underweight just about.

[PetalMettle]

Mil is under 150, pondering buying a hbb for her

[amammabear]

Basicbrown yes, to be classed as underweight as a child, they do it against the height rather than age. So although he floats just above the 25th centile for height and between -0.4 and 0.4 for weight, when the two are correlated (don't ask me how they do it!) because his height is lower than average even though it's not as low as the weight, it makes the weight chart in a slightly better position. The calculations they use are beyond me though.

[BertieBotts]

It will be these charts they are using.

www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/

[BertieBotts]

Sorry, here's the one for 5+ www.who.int/growthref/en/

[Bluebellevergreen]

MIL drives her grankids (not mine) without car seats. They are now 5 and 7. I take it this is not legal??!!
We got a car seat for the baby we are expecting and she went on and on about car seats being bad for newborns when we said we are just driving 25 minutes hospital- home.

I guess she wont be driving my child then 😒

[RedBugMug]

yep illegal.
and bloody dangerous.

infant car seat should not be used for long stretches but are very safe in case a car should crash

[herethereandeverywhere]

Aw cute, my mum should permanently be on a booster seat she'll hate love me when I tell her that!

Basically:
By law:

• If you already have booster seats without a back, they are fine to use for whatever child (once out of 5 point harness seats).
  

• If you are buying a new one then the new age/weight guideline for high backed boosters should be followed from April
  

If you want to be more safe than the minimum required by law, you are recommended:

• to follow the new age/weight guideline for high backed boosters now; and
  
• keep kids on a booster until they are 150cm

[amammabear]

Bertie we do have the charts, but then they do some additional calculations. It's beyond me!

[BertieBotts]

Yes does look a bit baffling I must admit! But never mind, if they aren't worried that's good at least :)

[littledinaco]

Bluebelle that is really dangerous. Not having a high back booster is dangerous enough but no car seat at all - if they were in a crash, the lap belt can literally cut them in two as it's not in the right position (so it's on their stomach instead of their hips). Shoulder belt is not in right position either.
Maybe show you mum some of the crash test videos and this www.google.co.uk/amp/www.today.com/amp/health/mom-warns-about-car-seat-safety-after-daughter-nearly-sliced-t104541?client=safari

I think a lot of people just don't realise how dangerous it is.