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Original poster

New car seat laws

19 replies

misty · 12/09/2006 16:50

OK aware that they come into play on monday, but does anyone know if the ruling for 6-11 yr olds and/or under 135cm means that all 6-11 yr olds need to be in a booster seat, even if they are over 135cm? DS1 is 9 but 137 cm tall.

OP posts:
anniediv · 12/09/2006 16:54

Some good info here

road safety website

Medulla · 12/09/2006 16:59

Just tried to look it up for you and the advice is a little conflicting. On the same web site it says that children need to be on a booster seat until they are 12 or 135cms whichever they reach first so no he wouldn't need one BUT in another section it says that adult seats are designed for adults of 150cms and adult bone structure so yes your DS would need to use one!!

TenaLady · 12/09/2006 17:06

Medulla, I agree always bloody conflicting when from the government. I just had a convo with my friend who was taking my ds5+1wk out in her car.

She reckoned car booster is ok, I disagreed as I read it as the booster is for approx 6+.

poppyknot · 12/09/2006 17:10

Was annoyed to find out that childminders here haven't been sent out official infomration leaflet like this.

Mine does know about it and is up on the details but on her own efforts. Surely C/Ms who are registered and overseen to the nth degree could be sent out the information as a matter of course.

In fact why couldn't DVLC (everyone with a car) or Child Benefit people (everyone with a child) send out the literature? The govt. seem quite happy to do mailings to 'every household' on bird flu etc. and the Post office did it to everyone about letter sizes......

BadHair · 12/09/2006 17:13

this is useful, and have used this before.

Medulla · 12/09/2006 17:17

I would agree with you re the booster seat he's too young. I am surprised as to the amount of people that put their children onto booster seat when they should still be in car seats. My friend has a 4 year old that os perched on a booster cushion!!! The other day he waved at me out of the back window of his car (I was i the car behind) for the entire journey so he clearly wasn't strapped in! Didn't say anything to her though!

TenaLady · 12/09/2006 17:24

Its all a load of poppycock, you must do this but in the event of this you may have your child unrestrained in the rear seat.

The guidelines are flimsy and up for abuse

LIZS · 12/09/2006 17:27

My understanding is it 's 11 or 135cm whichever they reach first. Booster cushion is 22kg/6years plus iirc

MoreSpamThanGlam · 12/09/2006 17:28

Right. Still dont get it. My ds is 139cms, does he have to have a booster seat or not? Anyone?

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 12/09/2006 17:34

depends on the booster cushion - DS1 has this one which is suitable from 4yrs+ (suitable for children over 101cm and weighing between 15 and 36kgs). So theoretically DS2 could actually nearly fit into it - although he's not 'old' enough he's 15kgs and 100cm tall!

LIZS · 12/09/2006 18:10

hrhqoq they may say 15kg-36kg however I've noticed recently that some companies have adjusted ones with backs to be advertised as 18kg plus and think it is ROSPA recommend a min of 22kg for one without.

Original poster
misty · 12/09/2006 19:46

aha thanks everyone - typical grey area.....

OP posts:
TooTicky · 12/09/2006 19:53

We have a 7 seat car, 5 normal size but the back 2 are smaller and cannot accommodate a booster seat because the seat belt is then too low and too short. I'm not sure if allowances are made for this situation.

portonovo · 12/09/2006 20:01

This is an example of good old EU/national government co-operation. All leading international and national safety bodies agree that 150 cm is the height at which it is safe for a child to dispense with car seats/booster seats.

However, to get this law into national legislation, the EU gave each member state the option to go for the lower limit of 135 cm. So of course, many governments have done just that, to make it more palatable and easy to pass into law.

We have always gone for the approach that our children had to be 150 cm AND 11 years old. We did this for our first two and will do the same for the 3rd.

It saddens me that so many of my friends have stopped using any sort of car seat when their children are as young as 5.

So, to answer the original question, legally now a child doesn't have to have a booster seat if they are over 135 cm tall, no matter what their age. I just don't think that goes far enough.

octavia · 13/09/2006 22:02

does the law apply to school coaches as well?

LIZS · 13/09/2006 22:04

Coaches and mini busses are exempt I think.

octavia · 13/09/2006 22:13

thanks Liz

flipflopper · 13/09/2006 22:46

Just been talking to my friend who is a teacher in a small school. When they go on an outing for eg a football game at another school, the teachers just take the children in their cars, to save hiring a minibus. will they now need to use a appropriate car seat?

LIZS · 14/09/2006 10:31

i wodul think so flipflopper, as it is the driver's responsibility and presumably the school has to provide insurance for such trips and get parents written authorisation then it would be in everyone's best interest to do so, just in case the unthinkable happens.

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