Children don’t need car seats?

[IcarusFlies]

Am I completely misunderstanding this? We have DC3 on the way and I’m trying to find a way to have three car seats in the back.

One will be 4.5yo, the other 6.5yo when baby comes. DC1 is over 22kg but under 125cm so, I thought, needs a high backed booster or a booster cushion from before 2017 / after growing to 125cm.

But the Gov website is saying “Children aged 3 or older can sit in the back using an adult belt, if there’s no space for a third seat”?? So I don’t need a third car seat at all, if the whole family of five travels together?

https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

NOT debating the safety or wisdom of this, just trying to get my head around the regulations… Surely this can’t be right?

It’s the law but like you say it’s not wise or particularly safe!

Yes that’s right. But you can get seats that fit (apparently).

I find that crazy… so I can’t put him on a booster cushion in the middle legally til he’s 125cm but I CAN put him in the middle without the booster and using just the adult seat belt… Where’s the logic?

I’m really struggling to find seats that will fit all three. Was looking at the multimac but that’s £££ and not as safe as I’d like, it seems.

It's a loophole for the biggest child because so many cars are too small but everyone I know with 3 kids traded in for a bigger vehicle. VW Touran/Peugeot 3008 size.

Do a new thread on here asking for help. Say your car and what seats you have at the moment. Plenty of people have 3 or more children, so will have experience. There are also car seat advice groups on facebook.

The UK car seat laws are pretty rubbish. In some parts of Europe have less child road deaths than us. They use rear facing seats as long as possible 6/7 years plus and then high back booster seat until 150cm as it adds side impact protection.
Unfortunately that doesn't really work here - just using a seat for a baby is difficult for some people near me!

What car do you have?

you might have to consider a new car. The S Max can fit three car seats on the back seat.

Can you fit an adult in the back with two car seats and put the oldest child in the front in a high back booster?
There are some quite slim high back booster seats around that might work, and, if you are looking to change cars in the future, the Ford s max fits a hbb, forward facing harnessed seat and a baby seat on the back seat.

Thanks all, we tend to only need to worry about:

a) school run (can put eldest in high backed booster at the front with airbags off), 20mph on urban roads the whole way
b) weekend trips to shops, could put eldest in the middle I guess…
c) 1h drive to family along the motorway, where we tend to go all together so definitely the highest risk journeys. Government solution unacceptable to me.

We have a Skoda Octavia estate.

Very keen not to change the car!

If you ask MN to move this to the Car Seat topic rather than AIBU, there are some really knowledgeable posters who can give you great advice. Or join Car Seat Safety UK group on FB, where this type of question comes up all the time.

I would try one of the specialist car seat fitting places. They are experts at which seats will fit in your car.

https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/contact

you can call them if there isn’t a branch near you.

How tall is your oldest? Ultimately most people.do end up changing car because even if they reach the height it is difficult to feel comfortable with them without a car seat. if you squeeze a small booster in between the 2 seats it's very difficult to close the seat belt. Our eldest was 5 but ended up getting a new car. Sorry !

It's not a recommendation it's just a realisation that not all cars can fit a third seat, this exception only applies if there is no spare seat eg front passenger. If you can fit a cushion booster (no back) use that instead. Laws are to protect us but they are also realistic

In your situation, if changing cars isn't a realistic option and you can't find 3 seats to fit your current car, I would go for the option of eldest in HBB in passenger seat as far back as possible (I don't think you turn off the airbag except for rear facing seat in front).

And for the trips to family the smallest adult in back between seats and largest one drives!

It's only for a couple of years max as the eldest will then be tall enough to go between the seats.

Why can't you put a car seat in the front passenger side and put the adult in the middle back?

Generally speaking if you use seatbelt fitting over isofix it is easier to get 3 seats across the back as you can get the side seats closer to the doors. Seats can touch each other but not rely on each other for support.
I had 3 rearfacing in a CMax many years ago, an Octavia should be fine.
The In Car Safety Centre posted previously will sort you out!

@Lavender2021

That's actually a misconception, extended rear facing isn't compulsory in any country and all of Europe including the U.K. have the same legal standards of seats. The only difference is some countries require boosters to a higher height eg 150cm. The Swedish crash tests are what you are thinking of but those seats are sold across Europe

We had an Octavia when I was pregnant with 3rd. Discovered same info as you and was shocked. Very hard finding car seats. We opted to swap to a picasso as it was one of the few cars with individual seats.

The UK laws are fricking shocking and disgusting. Seriously if a car doesn't have a seat belt sure a kid can travel in it?????

Bonkers and disgusting.

There are a few independent car seat specialist around the country and if your are not close to one will help virtually. I see this question alot on my car seat safety group and it seems the safest option for most parents If having a 3rd child is to get a car that provides the option for 3 car seats

Just put an adult in the back.

I'm a size 8 and have narrow shoulders but I can only just fit between two car seats in our estate car and that's sitting forwards so my shoulders don't have to go between the seats, where they physically don't fit. I can only do it for very short journeys. I just don't think most adults would fit in the back in most situations. It's baffling that the law isn't just to essentially treat it as a 4 person car not a 5 person one though.

Three seatbelts in back of car, can use these for child seats.
Mary need some pushing about seats while clicking in belts but will work.
Leave baby seat in car full time then other two booster type seats can move if in front or back.
Do no need to turn off airbag if child front facing in front on booster seat. Only for rear facing

Just put one in the front and 2 car seats in the back. I always have baby on the front passenger seat as we have isofix. Much easier to deal with screaming baby and pop dummy back in.