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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 · 11/09/2011 10:39

They still aren't safe though and car seats have an expiry date. Can't remember off hand what britax shelf life is.

There is no way my 2yo would be travelling around unharnessed. My nearly 4 yo does but only because he outgrew his harness

BertieBotts · 11/09/2011 10:39

I would probably still consider them unsafe! I don't think they meet current standards - as Loopsymumsy says. You can still legally use seats which are massively old as they used the British Standards before then.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 12:11

Thanks for all the advise. He text me to say he was going to drop them off this afternoon, but still hasn't replied about the car seats. I text him again asking what about the car seat thing and offered to pick them up - again, nothing back!

OP posts:

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 13:59

Still no reply from him. I have posted on freecycle to see if I can get some proper ones for him to use.

OP posts:

misdee · 11/09/2011 14:01

they are proper ones.

they have passed safety inspections.

i wouldnt get ones from freecycle as you dont know the history

aswellasyou · 11/09/2011 14:41

I'm shocked that he thinks these seats are OK. I don't care if they're not illegal. The plastic on them is likely to have disintegrated, whether or not you can see it, and I wouldn't be surprised if they'd had a few knocks over time. I'm surprised your ex-partner's mother's clients haven't told her to get new seats. I would be a lot more happy to use second hand but newish seats than those myself.

misdee · 11/09/2011 14:43

depends on how old they are. if under 6yrs old they will be fine.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 14:47

The seats being used look 10 years old or so.

I can't afford to buy brand new ones just to use every 2 weeks in his car, and I doubt he will pay considering he still won't even pay maintenance.

I doubt the parents of the CM children have seen the seats. She is a crap Childminder anyway, but very good at blagging.

OP posts:

misdee · 11/09/2011 14:59

what patterns are on the seats?

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 15:04

Looks very much like this one if I remember right: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Britax-Cruiser-Plus-/130572189912?pt=UK_Baby_CarSeats_EH&hash=item1e66b580d8#ht_500wt_1156

Athough I only saw them quickly so I will have another look if I can when he drops them off

OP posts:

Loopymumsy · 11/09/2011 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 11/09/2011 20:58

Loopymumsy - it did cross my mind but as you say, if they are legal then there isn't much that can be done unfortunatly :-(

OP posts:

Dialsmavis · 11/09/2011 23:05

The seat I had was very similar to that and would now be around 8 years old at a guess as DS is nearly 9 and I got it when he was 1ish.

BertieBotts · 12/09/2011 11:13

They are legal to use, but shops aren't allowed to sell them, so it might be interesting to ofsted. I don't know what the rules are for childminders.

jocie · 12/09/2011 13:41

what seats have you got? Will those fit in his car?
If not would you concider changing your seats to something like the kiddy which should fit in most cars. They use the normal adult seatbelt but they have an impact cushion instead of a 5 point harness and are deemed to be safer than the normal 5 point harness stage 1's as the impact cushion spread the force of an impact if in a srach.
kiddy seats here
i think the 9 months to 4 yrs ones are about £119

maxybrown · 20/09/2011 22:23

Hmm, I remember those seats. When I was a nanny they had one as a spare for their DS and he would be 14 now. He was about 12 months when they used it. They did the elite after that which looks the same but has the harness too (I have one lol) but my DS is just 4 and slight - still at least 4kg off the maximum user weight for his Britax and I can't imagine him being ok in just a seatbelt tbh and he's older than your DCs!

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 25/09/2011 16:13

Thanks all for your help. He borrowed my parents ones last week and when he dropped them off he was using his Mums crappy ones again!!!! I have told him now that he isn't having them again until he sorts something out and guess what - haven't heard from him since! That's been a week now.

OP posts:

sleepevader · 25/09/2011 16:45

Good for you OP.

As far as I'm concerned this is an argument worth having.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 08/10/2011 08:46

He still hasn't seen them since! Think it's given him the perfect excuse not to have them!

OP posts:

aswellasyou · 08/10/2011 11:19

How horribly sad for your children! I hope he's just in a mood about it and will sort out appropriate seats soon so he can see your children again.

Original poster

LilllyLovesLife · 08/10/2011 12:47

He can see them now if he wants - I can just drop them off and pick them up. He didn't drive until about 2 months ago so it's not like he isn't used to not being able to use a car.

OP posts:

aswellasyou · 08/10/2011 13:17

He sounds like an idiot then! I hope he either comes to his senses or that your children don't miss him too much.

sleepevader · 08/10/2011 18:41

He sounds like a prized idiot.

You are absolutely doing the right thing in making sure your children are safe.

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