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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wish that a few more MN's had seen my thread today......

306 replies

Pixiepants · 15/05/2008 19:47

Here and then taking advantage of the AIBU threads to see if I can drum up a bit more support for this subject?

I probably am, but hey.....

OP posts:
Original poster
Pixiepants · 16/05/2008 11:55

Can't expect Halfords etc to know any more than me if they don't stock the product, and given that incorrectly fitted seats are the reasons for most (sorry haven't time to dig up current stats.) injuries I'm quite happy to be a bit OTT on this.

I just want more people to know about them as then they would have the choice...no harm in that and if one less child was injured I wouldn't consider raising awareness and getting them in the high street extreme. How did you hear as glad to find out that some marketing is working

OP posts:
Meeely2 · 16/05/2008 11:55

if we had two rear facing seats for the boys now we'd need a much bigger car - simply can't afford it, so I guess they will just have to travel in a more dangerous way - perhaps if I was rich they would be safer - hey ho.

silverfrog · 16/05/2008 11:56

totally agree with you, MrsAki. I wish the choice had been an easy one ofr me.

(have only just found out that it is possible to get rearfacing to 25kg, for eg. And have just bought dd1's new seat too, .)

silverfrog · 16/05/2008 11:57

er, Meeely, I had, just last week, two rearfacing deats fitted in my udi A2 - doesn't get much smaler than that!

Meeely2 · 16/05/2008 11:57

oh and i use isofix (lucky it was standard on our car) so it's very hard/nigh on immpossible to fit an isofix seat wrong.

silverfrog · 16/05/2008 11:57

That's an Audi A2 (pesky, wriggly baby!)

Meeely2 · 16/05/2008 11:59

er, silverfrog, I have a pug 206 and a very tall/big dh who drives with seat almost in boot, so forward facing seat behind him struggles - when the boys were in baby carriers we couldn't fit one behind him so one would be in front with airbag switched off and other would be behind that - I would be squashed in behind DH.

Original poster
Pixiepants · 16/05/2008 11:59

I'm a slow typist Meeely

OP posts:
diplodocus · 16/05/2008 12:04

Legroom / car size is an issue for them if you have to either have two or for some reason have to have it behind the driver seat. I have a peageot 206 and it's fine behind the driver's seat when I drive (I'm a shortarse) but gets a bit cramped with DH. Here's a link to the one I have if anyone's interested in seeing them. incarsafetycentre.co.uk/shop/special_br_07.html
The fitting is quite different and does need to be shown, so not ideal to get off internet.

MrsAki · 16/05/2008 12:14

Rear facing seats are standard in Norway and Sweden for instance. I can guarantee you that not everyone in these contries have enormous cars!
www.hts.no/svenska/pdf/izikid.pdf If you look at page 16 in this PDF you will see all the cars the BeSafe Izi Kid will fit in, and you find most small cars in there.

I understand that for some people this is a new and strange concept, but for my part, I will do anything to keep my child safe in the car and in this case, when the product exist, just not on the UK high streets, it is such a simple thing to do. You have two types of seat; choose the safer one...

Meeely2 · 16/05/2008 13:00

i kid yee not, there is an inch gap between edge of back seat and the back of dh's seat when he drives - he has it right back on the runners. I can guarentee the makers of these cars seats will say it fits in a pug 206 because it will if front setas are pushed forward, but they don't take into consideration tall drivers.

Anyhoo, we won't be buying two new seats at this stage anyway, so I guess no point fretting over it.

SaintGeorge · 16/05/2008 14:00

Last attempt to try to be clear.

STAGE 1 car seats, using the accepted ROSPA standard in the UK, are for Group 0 (babies up to 10 kgs/22 lbs, roughly from birth to 6-9 months) or Group 0+ (babies up to 13kg/29lbs, roughly from birth to 12-15 months)

These are readily available in the UK!

You are not using the correct terminology in your petition and it therefore does not make sense.

See ROSPA for the standard definitions.

suzi2 · 16/05/2008 14:48

I get you Saint George. The issue here is with using the word "stage" rather than "group".

I have to say I'm increasingly thankful that DD is still in her 0+

Original poster
Pixiepants · 16/05/2008 17:02

Suzi & other MNs, can you think of more idea's of ways we can help to get them available nationally before your DD outgrows her 0+?

OP posts:
differentID · 16/05/2008 17:18

Hi, I work for a retailer that advises and sells car seats. I struggle, along with many of my colleagues, to get people to keep their babies in rear facing car seats until they get to the minimum forward facing criteria. I get called "stupid cow" if I tell them that it is not safe or appropriate for a 5 month old to go forward facing even if he is twenty pounds. Much of the attitude in the UK (that I've come across) is that the child is godlike and if he grizzles when he faces rearwards, turn him around- it won't do any harm. All I can say is I really hope these particular people don't have to find out the hard way. I have in the past refused to sell group 1 car seat to a couple whose 4 month old (12lbs)"Didn't like going in his car seat". Can you imagine the abuse we would get trying to tell them to keep Junior facing the back of the car till they were over 3 years?
Personally, I am in favour of rear facing till a later stage and would very much like the law to become even stricter than it is.

BouncingTurtle · 16/05/2008 17:34

Slight hijack -

Differentid - I'm a big fan of rear facing seats, ds is currently nearly 5 months old and we have an Graco autobaby car seat base (one in each car), and I think the seat is a Group 0 - one that goes up to 9kg. When ds is too big for that seat, is it possible to buy the next stage seat which would fit on that seat base?
If so, where would i get them from?
TIA

FairyMum · 16/05/2008 17:49

I think the biggest problem is that people simply don't have the information and statistics that rearfacing is safer here in the UK. I only know about it because I am from Sweden.

Original poster
Pixiepants · 16/05/2008 17:57

BouncingTurtle (fab name). Check out www.rearfacing.co.uk and www.incarsafetycentre in Milton Keynes for now....Will do proper links later..in the middle of tea!

OP posts:
FairyMum · 16/05/2008 18:00

That really is shocking differentID. My ds1 was in a rearfacing car seat until he was over 5 year old. We don't have a car now, but we do still have rear-facing seats and I insist on my children travelling in them is travelling in other peoples cars. I am completely obsessed with car safety. I know too much to ignore it.

BouncingTurtle · 16/05/2008 18:02

Ta pixie

differentID · 16/05/2008 18:02

The Graco autobaby is a group 0+ seat- 13kg- and he should remain in it till his head is at the very top of the back of the car seat or he weighs 13kg. FairyMum, when I was Britax car seat trained not so long ago, my trainer mentioned that he personally thought Sweden had it very right.
It's the challenge of making the Great British Public see that. I would love to be able to show customers crash tests in store when they buy a seat and explain why, very bluntly, they are foolish to go to the next stage before their child is ready; if I did that I would probably have complaints made about me to head office and a "chat" with my manager about appropriate customer service.
It's a lose/lose situation for people in my position. Damned if you say it, feel like you're damned to eternal hell if you don't.
Bouncing Turtle, do you mean when your DS gets to 9kg or 13kg?

Original poster
Pixiepants · 16/05/2008 18:10

Great you've joined this chat diff.id....Not convinced all parents want to go forward facing and I think the problem might be that the rear facing seats are still uncommon.
Hopefully the rear facing campaign can help more people know that there is another option, and maybe new market research stating this might show that there is a market...everyone who I've spoken too is interested.

OP posts:
BouncingTurtle · 16/05/2008 18:16

I've just double checked my car seat, I have the Autobaby Carseat which according to the website goes upto 13kg, so wouldn't need to move him up until he reaches this weight. So got plenty of time! Hopefully Babyworld will be stocking the next size up Graco seat by the time he reaches that weight (he is 6kgs).

silverfrog · 16/05/2008 18:17

I really wish that rear facing seats were more widespread. The crash test stuff that you do see is horrific.

I had to leave dd2 with a childminder last week, and as I dropped her off I made sure that the CM had a baby seat for her - "oh, is she still in one of those?" says CM (dd2 is 15 months, but only weighs 16lb - she is tiny)

"isn't she bored of facing backwards?" she said, "my ds was making a fuss by the time he was 8 months, and as he was over 20lb, I changed him around"

sadly, this is not the first time I've heard similar.

My own stepchildren think I'm some weird paranoid freak because dd1 was still rearfacing until recently, as their cousins (similar age to dd1) are all forward facing...

I wish the info was out there for pepople to make a proper, informed, choice.

FairyMum · 16/05/2008 18:21

Yes, I have many people laughing of me too. Some don't even strap their children into seat belts on short journeys[shock}