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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

Did everyone know that car seat rules are changing, starting with the age 4+ style but working its way down?

66 replies

PrincessScrumpy · 10/10/2011 10:07

I went to Halfords yesterday as dd is getting near the stage for a new seat - she's 3.5 and tall. The expert there actually seemed to know his stuff and said he only had 2 seats that fitted the new laws that are coming in regarding the side impact protection - luckily one was maxi cosi which was the brand I want to stick with.

Anyway, he also said that the seat dd is currently is is likely to not meet the laws in a year's time as they are changing the side impact in those (I was planning to use the seat for one of my twins in a year!), he said the law may not be in by then but new seats will be slightly wider to accomodate the side impact "air bags". It would mean I will struggle to get 3 seats along the back row of the car and I have a VW Touran - surely that will have a massive affect for everyone!?

Of course I want my dds to be as safe as possible but I also don't want to drive a bus or put dd1 in the seats in the boot - too far away for long journeys and seems unnecessary.

Basic booster seats will be banned too.

Has anyone heard anything different?

OP posts:

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eastmidlandsnightnanny · 10/10/2011 13:14

not heard this and just brought 2 stage 1 seats and nowhere mentioned this

Will be great is basic boosters are banned I think they dont really do a great job other than lift the child higher which is obv the aim but think the ones with high backs offer a little more safety.

ASuitableGirl · 10/10/2011 13:18

Does that mean my 7 year old currently on a booster seat will need a high back booster? Do you have a link to when this is coming in from please?

brachy · 10/10/2011 13:39

Off to google this!
I like the idea of doing away with booster cushions and keeping kids in high back boosters for longer.

ASuitableGirl · 10/10/2011 13:56

I do agree actually - DS seems to have ended up on a booster seat . Maybe I should just get another HBB anyway. DD is 6 and says some of her friends have just booster seats but have told her she is staying in HBB for a while yet.

aswellasyou · 10/10/2011 15:20

Surely it'll work in the same way as it does now, in that new seats must fulfill new saftey criteria but current seats will still be legal. I would also be very happy if boosters were abolished. And if police officers actually did something about children being in the wrong seat, no carseat or completely unrestrained! [shck]

notfarmingatthemo · 10/10/2011 16:42

I was having problems with my kidfix a couple of mths ago it will not extend that much in my car so may nor even take her all the way up to 135cm let alone 150cm like that seat does and britax said the new standard was coming in but they didn't know when that all high-backs must able to take children up to 135cm so I guess that means the bit the child sits on will get thinner as seat clash with the side column of the car if they don't.

I think like with all other changes they will only really apply to new seats unless your car insurances says you have to have the latest safety standard. But that could get very expensive as they seam to come out with a new one every year or so

sleepevader · 10/10/2011 16:52

Anyone got a link please?

saladfingers · 10/10/2011 17:21

I've googled it and can't find anything about it.
seems highly unlikely that booster seats will be 'banned' or will the government be giving us money to replace all our car seats?

ASuitableGirl · 10/10/2011 18:13

What happened when car seat laws changed before so all children up to 135cm had to have one in terms of a changeover period?

SickleBOO · 10/10/2011 18:23

Do you think he was maybe (ahem) embellishing the truth to get a sale?

kickingking · 10/10/2011 18:38

Does this just mean any highback booster with 'wings' round the headrest is OK?

SquishyCinnamonSwirls · 10/10/2011 18:43

This is quite concerning being a childminder, I have to make sure that all children transported in my car are seated correctly. I could therefore have to fork out for up to 6 new car seats!

vincentvangogh · 10/10/2011 18:52

Nothing on google about this. I too am interested as I have three in the back - and the middle is a straightforward booster.

I would ring halfords and query. I hope the guy was bullshitting as we won't want to shell out for a bus to transport the kids.

fluffythevampirestabber · 10/10/2011 18:58

I think he was scaremongering to get a sale.

Sorry.

mybootsaremuddy · 10/10/2011 19:12

I heard a little while ago that there was hope of 'phasing out' the basic boosters in favour of the high back ones. I know that Britax already no longer make the backless ones and any you see in shops now are 'old stock' .I think they were trying to convince 'the powers that be' to make it that all manufacturers would no longer be able to produce backless boosters so there for they would eventualy become unavailable and so anyone then needing a new stage 2/3 seat would only be able to get highbacked ones (unless buying/recieving a used/old backless one).

Original poster

PrincessScrumpy · 10/10/2011 19:26

He did say they just won't be able to sell booster seats or high backs that change into booster seats.

No need to use sales technique as I knew I wanted the maxi cosi - he even told me not to buy in the shop but order online to reserve to pick up in store as online as £25 cheaper but he could still fit it for me.

He told me that they stock two seats he won't sell to people as he doesn't believe they're safe - he told head office but they replied Halfords has to sell cheap seats too to compete with supermarkets.

OP posts:

Loopymumsy · 10/10/2011 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

beesknobblyknees · 10/10/2011 21:59

A friend told me the same thing about booster cushions from next year from a sales person in Mothercare.

JuneMummy · 15/10/2011 08:22

i have also heard about the booster cushions being taken of the market in 2012 Which im really pleased about because they provided no protection what so ever! havent heard about the SIP though.

AnyoneButLulu · 15/10/2011 08:33

No protection whatsoever is a bit OTT - I've "seen" (on paper) the outcome of children sliding underneath an adult seatbelt following a straightforward rear collision, and properly used boosters are a good way of preventing that.
I agree that they're not a great option, but it would make emergency journeys and trips to family much more inconvenient if they weren't available at all.

Debs75 · 15/10/2011 08:47

I don't see how booster cushions offer protection, all they do is raise the child a few inches and sites the shoulder belt more comfortably for them.
If the HBB offers side protection then they are a much better and safer option.
My friends dd has a booster and in their old car her head rested on thewindow frame and she had smacked her head a few times against it. If they ahd had a side impact crash she would of seriously hurt her head. They didn't bother with a high backed booster as the booster cushion was legal and they didn't have enough moeny to spend on beer and a new seat

Abra1d · 15/10/2011 08:56

The law of unintended consequences will mean that people will have to buy even bigger cars to allow for wider seats. They won't be able to car pool as much, which means two cars will be on the road where one might have been able to take one family of children plus friend to swimming or football.

Safer?

AnyoneButLulu · 15/10/2011 09:58

Booster cushions don't "protect" per se, but they allow the seat belt to do its job properly. A child with an adult seatbelt and no booster is much less safe than an adult with an adult seatbelt. A properly fitted booster will bring their level of safety close to that of the adult, a highback seat will offer additional protection, and is of course what you should go for if you have the choice.

lenats31 · 15/10/2011 16:25

Booster cushions are likely to be completely removed, but the other seats - no. I have not heard of this at all. However, there is a good chance there will be air protection in the head area - but no law that require new seats.

lenats31 · 15/10/2011 16:32

OH yeah, I have heard that the ECE R 44/04 will be phased out. But this is going to take quite a while.

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