Toddler escaping from Cybex impact shield car seat

[debbietook]

Hi We've been using a Cybex impact shield car seat for our granddaughter for a few months. She's nearly two. The other day we got home, I turned round from the driver seat and she said proudly 'Got out by myself!'. She'd managed to push the impact shield forward, pull the seat belt out of the groove and lift it up. I was horrified, although at least she hadn't done it until we'd stopped (pretty sure anyway)! We had followed the instructions, and there's a picture on the seat, and all looks as it should be. But surely a two year old shouldn't be able to undo it by herself? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Most do that at her age. You will have to be firm.

Is she forward or rear facing?

If she was rear facing she’d prob find it harder to do that.

Impact shield car seats are a bit controversial in general, as although they score well on safety testing, the dummies/ safety tests are designed to assess the loads applied by standard harness style car seats, and do not measure e.g. abdominal impact, which is a potential safety concern for impact shields. They also do not provide as good restraint in rolling accidents, and have in some safety tests resulted in the dummy being ejected from the car seat in roll over tests. They are however still safer in terms of neck load than harnessed forward facing car seats, and in a child your granddaughter's age neck injuries are a major concern.
The lack of a proper five point harness likely does make it easier to escape. An extended rear facing seat with a five point harness would allow you to avoid the potential safety concerns relating to impact shields, while also massively reducing neck loads, so is the best of both worlds.

She's clever! It's rare for them to work this out but some of them do.

You could try swapping to a 5 point harness seat as others have said. Or if you want to stick with an impact shield, the Cybex Pallas G i-size or the Cybex Anoris T (this one is vv expensive because it has its own airbag) use their own attachments to secure the shield rather than the seatbelt.

Or, if you think she will understand, you could just go with explaining to her that it's dangerous to take the shield off when you are moving and compromise by letting her do some part of the seat when you have stopped and given the OK. Praise her for waiting until she is told.

Forward facing.

Thank you everyone. It's good to know that it's probably not something we've done wrong when putting the seat in. I only go for short drives with her, and think I might just have to keep an eye on her, and if she does start to escape while driving, pull over and....'explain'! Not sure she'll understand yet, but might do!