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

[PrincessScrumpy]

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?

[SurprisEs]

And the adventure car seat is sometimes sold at £25 which is amazing value.

[lenats31]

The booster that I use with my daughter who is 7 years old but already 134 app in height is going to last her quite a bit longer than that as a highback booster.She is not all legs.

It is a Römer Kidfix (Britax in Germany) German boosters are sold on mainland Europe. The law in Germany says 150 cm.

[Choufleur]

Ds is 5 but his high backed booster is already near its limit as ds is 123cm. Whilst he is tall his skeleton is not as strong as an older child. High back boosters should be adaptable for taller children. He is already just on a booster in my mums car as the high back bit of it made the seatbelt sit at a really odd place.

[lenats31]

"High back boosters should be adaptable for taller children."

Look at boosters from mainland Europe - Römer for exsample.

Even the Swedish rearfacing seat Britax Two Way Elite would likely still have accommondated him in a 5-point harness !!!!

[saffron]

Dd was 11 in 2006 and 4'4".
I brought her a booster seat obv.
But she complained like anything as she had stopped using one 18months earlier.
I still keep this barely used car seat in my boot for my neices. I refuse to buy them another.

[LittleMissWoodscommaElle]

really hope they don;t ban boosters.

Dd is 10 and quite petite. Both dc and dd were kept rear facing until 18 minths and in 5 point front facing until around the age of 4 or 5 then in a high back until age 7 much longer than anyone else I know.

Dd is now arounf 4ft 6 and on a basic booster. I anticipate she will need it until around the age of 11-12. There is no way she would fit width ways into a high back booster. We stopeed using one when she started to complain that it hurt her botton/hips to squash in.

I don't think this will improve safety at all.

[Choufleur]

We bought boosters that were available easily in shops here lenats31. When buying them I assumed there would be ok.

[saffron]

LittleMiss I was under the impression 4'5" or 12 which ever came first.
Which was why I had to buy dd a seat as she was an inch to short and a year to young.

With that in mind if your dd is 4'6, does she need a seat!

[LittleMissWoodscommaElle]

It may be legal but she certainly isn't safe yet. We took her out in the car last night without the booster and the seatbelt wasn't the right height.

[omnishambles]

Bloody nightmare for those of us who only travel in cars very occasionally if we need to somehow store and pull in and out of occasional neighbours cars, 2 high back boosters instead of the basic ones for 8 year old dcs.

Not ot mention when you get occasional lifts from friend when its pelting down who often have a spare basic booster in the boot. And minicabs.

[TheOriginalFAB]

I really hate the booster cushions. All mine are still in HBB though DS1 is tall enough at 10 not to need it anymore.

[saffron]

disclaimer - its been a while and this might not be legal anymore.
What about one of those clip things which clip the seat belt lower (at the very top) or one of these seat belt positioners.

*my mil has a seat belt clip to adjust her seat belt lower - but then she is FOUR FOOT EIGHT!!!

[lenats31]

"We bought boosters that were available easily in shops here lenats31. When buying them I assumed there would be ok."

I´m not critizing you negatively. You have every right to think that they would be big enough for him until 10 or more..

Maybe I should take a photo of Sarah´s Römer Kidfix pulled all the way up and with her in it. It might give you an idea how it compares with your son´s booster. It is a German Britax booster.

[Hulababy]

Will also make it harder for when travelling on holiday and taking a car seat. We have the Trunki car seat/backpack which is very convenient.

[Choufleur]

Thanks it's difficult to know whether a seat is tall enough for ds, or will be for next few years, from a blurb on a website lenats31

[justforinfo]

Well I work for Halfords and I've heard nothing regarding laws changing about SIP. I have been informed about booster seats being phazed out as they don't offer enough protection for children. As for seats without extra side impact they are currently ECE44.03 or 44.04 which are Legal (.01 and .02 being illegal) So if there is to be a new law i'd assume it's simply have a higher standard of testing but you can still use the older seats. I will double check this in work too.
if the national speed limit is being raised to 80mph i'd like to think that they'd have the common sense to raise the car seat crash test standard! (Lets face it, it's pretty crap atm!)

Out of interest what store and who did you speak to? If he is giving incorrect info i'll be sure to get word to him! Fantastic that he gave good advice about reserve and collect as thats a great service! There are also 2 types of HBB I refuse to sell which leads me to believe that he does know what he's on about and not scaremongering :)