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Car seats

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here. For Mumsnetter-approved essentials, sign up for Mumsnet Swears By emails here.

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Original poster

Are these car seats legal?

48 replies

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 13:07

My Ex has just picked the kids up and I saw the car seats he is using. They are old but in good condition but they don't have 5 point harnesses? The kids are 2 and 3 and both small for their age and are both using a stage 1 car seat with me. The label on his seats say from 9kg so they are the right stage but I have never seen this stage car seat without a 5 point harness? It just uses the normal car seat belt, similar to how a stage 2 one would?

They are Britax I think. I tried looking at car seat laws etc online but couldn't find an answer to this particular question. I just worry they are so old that they are not legal/safe nowadays?

His Mum uses them for childminding so if they arn't legal then this is really bad!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 13:11

He is using a stage123 without the harness (which cam be removed between 15kg and18kg)

No not safe at all

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 13:13

Up to 15kg minimum a child needs to be harnessed.

Go careful with how you approach it as it's probably just ignorance. Explain at less than 15kg the seatbelt won't activate to stop so the child would have no restraint.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 13:15

Oh dear! I questioned it and he bit my head off about it and I know his Mum (the one using the car seats 5 days a week for childminded children!) would do the same (the whole family are a bit bonkers and all hate me and everything I say/do is always wrong - long story).

I don't know what to do. He said I can get new ones if I want and he will leave them in his car but to be honest, as he doesn't pay any maintenance, I can't really afford it. But they are not going in those seats again!

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Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 13:16

And Thank you for your replies (just seen the second one)

OP posts:

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 13:21

Send a text or email saying you have looked at info online. The seat belt can only be used at 15kg. The children are x and x weight. (Weigh on scales) so these are suitable. I'm sure you appreciate that our childrens safety is of upmost importance so please can you make arrangements for them to have correct car seat.

If he refuses then I would actually suspend contact

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 13:22

Do you know ages of mothers mindees?

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 13:27

I don't know the age of current ones, although I know she has definatly had ones from 1year in them and these are what she feels are suitable to give him to use for our DDs. These aren't the sort of people who always do things by the book. One reason they don't like me and the way I bring them up is because I breastfed when they were babies Just as an example of what they are like.

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Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 20:07

I sent him a message about it but so far he has ignored it!

OP posts:

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 20:11

When is he next due contact?

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 20:16

He has them at the moment! And then again on Thursday (my DPs birthday)

OP posts:

JohnniesBitch · 10/09/2011 20:16

Britax used to make a high back booster that was sold as suitable from 9 months that just used the car seat belt. It has a sliding head rest that the seat belt slips into. My mum had one in her car for ds1 who's now 14 and she does use it very occasionally for dd1 who is 5.5.

sleepevader · 10/09/2011 20:21

You must be really worried. Can you not give him your seats to use or are things really not that amicable? What has he been using up til now?

mybootsaremuddy · 10/09/2011 20:49

Are the seats he is using ones like the evolva where you can remove the harness when they get to 15kg and his mother has taken out harness to use for older mindees?
Or as you stated tha they look quite old are they like these?
If it is these seats then supposedly they are ment to be from 9-25kg but i would NEVER put my 2 or 3yr old in one. We were offerd one of these about 3 yrs ago by a friend but we politley declined as her daughter was 11 at the time, so it would have been very old. They dont look at all safe and have no side impact. Im sure i serched the seat on line after the offer and read somwhere that Britax had fazed them out as they were totaly slated by 'Which' and were classed well and truly as a 'dont buy'.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 10/09/2011 21:58

The link just seems to take me to this thread . It sounds like you could have the right one though so I would be really interested to see the right link!

JohnniesBitch - sounds similar, could be the one.

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thisisyesterday · 10/09/2011 22:03

i would tell him that until he has suitable child seats he cannot take them anywhere in the car

it is ILLEGAL for him to transport them in unsuitable seats. not to mention the danger to them of course

workshy · 10/09/2011 22:06

sounds like a britax cruiser

they still make the supercruiser that can be used without a 5 point harness from 9 months, and is on sale in Halfords

why not email britax and see if they comply with current regs?

I used to have a supercruiser for my DD who is now 9 and was very useful to put in grandparents car -it has a locking clip at the shoulder and doesn't need to be fitted into a car

Dialsmavis · 10/09/2011 22:10

DS had the Britax seat that used the car seat belt and was suitable from 9 months. When did they make these illegal please?

mybootsaremuddy · 10/09/2011 22:46

sorry Try this it should work[hopefull emoticon]. Its only an ebay listing but should be able to tell by the pics if its the same. If it is ten its pretty much made entirly of polystyrene(sp?) except the plastic bit the belt threds through.

mybootsaremuddy · 10/09/2011 22:52

I dont think they were made illegal, Britax just phased them out as they no meet their own high standards. Britax have decided to no longer produce the backless booster as well. As they believe higbacks to be much safer. So any you see for sale in Halfords/ mothercare ect are just what is left from current stock and once gone will no longer be available as Britax no longer make them.

mybootsaremuddy · 10/09/2011 22:52

*no longer

misdee · 10/09/2011 22:54

they arent illegal, and they arent unsafe.

but they arent as safe as the current seats on the market.

Dialsmavis · 10/09/2011 23:14

Ah I see. I has mine 8 years ago and it was also kept at Granny's house and it was really useful.

thisisyesterday · 10/09/2011 23:17

when i mentioned illegal seats I was referring to using the 1-2-3 type seats without the harness for a child who was below the 15kg weight limit for removing the harness

seats like the britax evolva 1-2-3 are suitable from 9 months... but you must use the harness until the child is at least 15kg.

if a seat has been designed and tested for children of 9kg just using the seat belt that is different, although it isn't something i would personally be happy using!

Loopymumsy · 11/09/2011 08:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 10:22

Yes, they are britax cruisers. Great, now iv jumped in head first claiming them illegal and unsafe and actually they are not so now i'm going to look like a twat

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