DD is tall enough not to have a car seat, but only 7....

[pantaloons]

So, is she old enough not to have a car seat/booster? We are changing cars and it would make life easier if she wasn't in a booster as we have 3 dc's to fit in. The only thing is although she is tall enough I'm not sure if her bones are strong enough etc or am I worrying about nothing?

My ds1 is 'tall enough' ie hes 135cm but i still use a booster for him as if he is sat just on the main car seat the seatbelt sits across his neck. I read somwhere that although the law says 135cm most cars belts dont sit properly across your shoulders until u are 140ish. Im keeping him in his booster until the belt fits him properly.

Full seat is best they get chucked around horribly on an a accident otherwise

I understand that, in Europe the guideline is actually a lot taller but our Gov thought that the brits would not go for that so made it 135.

If there is a way to keep the booster do.

Will keep her in it then, the car we are looking at is a VW Touran as it seemed fairly spacious. At the moment all 3 are in boosters with the backs on, so hopefully they will all fit across the back. Thanks for the advice, I thoight as much, but DH gave the usual "it will be alright", sloppy git!

What do people think about just booster seats but with no back? Are they just as safe as long as the seatbelt is in the right place?

oh i should have said ds is in a maxi cosi rodi sps in dhs and the nannys car its a narower than the britax kidfix i have in mine. We can and have had 2 of the MC ones and an infant carrier in the back of all 3 cars.

It's the side impact and head protection that's good at that age -vids on youtube

I think it is doable, it's just whether contortion is involved! I have a feeling we might have to just have the booster for her without the back as petitdonkey says. I am going tomorrow to get ours valued (again) by the VW dealer as it is "specialised" and the manager needs to see it. I will try the seats in it then. Thanks again for the advice.

Oops, mised your post mercibucket, I hadn't considered the side impact thing. I drive a Land Rover Defender at the moment and it doesn't even have driver air bags. So I was slightly overcome by all the safety features on the Touran, but obviously want to do the best for all 3dc's if anything bad should happen. It is a family car though so I'm more or less sure all the seats should fit, and if I have to have arm extensions to fasten the belts, then so be it!

I have found that dd (similar age) can manage to do the belt up herslf when the seat is next to another though I did have to show her how to pull the best through enough (so it is loose) quite a few times!

She does her own at the moment, I'm just being a fuss pot! To be honest it couldn't be anymore difficult than lifting the younger 2 into the Landy I drive at the moment then half climbing half balancing on the sill to fasten them in!

My Ds is 9, he will happily still use a booster seat but his shoulders won't fit into a high backed seat so that is out. However I feel terrible when I read things like that, like I am putting him in harms way

Loopy thanks for that link. I have been tempted at times to remove DS's back bit but that video has removed that urge!! It's so easy to think that because my sister didn't use them for her kids 8 years ago, they are not necessary. I use the motorway daily on the school run so think I should keep them in it as long as possible.

WhyHavePets - You are not putting your son in harms way, he is obviously over the height limit and many people that I know in your position don't even bother with booster seats when they get that tall. DS had a friend over recently and he had the same problem- because of the shape of the headrests, I couldn't raise the back of the carseat so he had to just use a booster - he is only 7.

Thanks Petit I know I am being irrational about it and I am normally a very relaxed parent but for some reason this always worries me!

DD's seat is as high as it will go at the back. When she next has a growth spurt the belt will sit below her shoulder. I assume it's safer for her to be on just a booster than to have the seat belt too low? Or is it safer to still have the side impact protection?

I had that issue with the headrests on my car - the back of the highback booster wouldn't go high enough so DS had to use just the booster until he hit 140cm and now doesn't use anything. That said, my car and DH's both have lots of side impact protection anyway.