You're supposed to replace your car seats after an accident, I know - but how much of an accident?!

[TheHeathenOfSuburbia]

Someone drove into the back of me at a junction yesterday, fairly low speed but enough to squash the bumper and dent the boot.

DD was in a rear-facing car seat (Recaro Polaric). Am I supposed to replace this now, do you think?

(We are all OK btw, just slightly surprised!)

I think the guidelines say to replace whatever the accident. You will be able to claim on the other party's insurance to get a new one.

I would probably replace. Yes, I would, definitely.

Thanks... I suppose better safe than sorry. DH tells me he didn't mention the car seat in the initial accident report, so I guess I'll now have to go and have another half-hour conversation with the insurance people. Oh joy.

DD on the way home:

Mummy, next time you drive the car, I don't think you should crash it into anything. It's made a big bump in the car.
Thanks dear

replace. it, definitely.

yes, replace it. I had someone drive into me at a junction - they hit the passenger door when they pulled out on me. DS's car seat was there, but he wasnt. It was low impact, and just a dent in the door - but we were told to replace carseat as the seatbelts had tightened on impact.

We had someone drive into the back of us. I just put the car seats down on the claim form (don't think I remembered in the intial telecon either). Insurance company paid without any question

says in my britax instruction book,to replace if it was 10mph+

Guidlines are 15 km/h. Then you must replace the seat. Which is about 10 mph.

Lena

Some people would replace the car seat after slamming the car door, others would never do so.

I am in the camp that you use your common sense rather than be plied into another expensive purchase when there is nothing wrong with the one you have. That said, I'd replace if it was a decent smash but a low mph fender bender is just overkill.

I am in the camp that you use your common sense rather than be plied into another expensive purchase when there is nothing wrong with the one you have. That said, I'd replace if it was a decent smash but a low mph fender bender is just overkill.

It is the people working in the field of making and crash testing car seat that advise people to replace their seats after just a minor accident - to be on the safe side.

By the way, why fork out for a replacement seat yourself when your insurance company will?