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Original poster

new car seat law how will parents enforce it

89 replies

2shoes · 14/06/2006 14:12

just seen a bit about it. doesn't affect me as dd is in a wheelchair and ds is 14. but how ill parents enforce it. If you have say an 8 yr old who regards them as "baby seats".
This is a direct quote from an 8yr old. i was giving him and his mum a lift. already had ds and his mate in the car so assumed that said boy would sit in dd's sn seat which goes up to 11. he refused as it was a "baby seat" and instead sat on his mums lap( didn't offer a lift again due to other reasons as well)
so made me curious I think it is a good idea by the way.
over to you:o

OP posts:
Seona1973 · 14/06/2006 16:02

It definitely doesnt come in until September.
\link{http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm\New Car Seat Law

Seona1973 · 14/06/2006 16:03

sorry, never finished the link Blush

\link{http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm\New Car Seat Law}

marthamoo · 14/06/2006 16:13

Ds1, 9, has always used a car seat - we have a Concord Lift Pro which is for up to age 11. He's never objected, or called it babyish - I don't think it's even occured to him. Which is weird because among his peers I know of only one other child who has a full car seat (and not many even have boosters). If he did object..well, it would be a case of use it or walk Grin

I have only heard of the new laws on MN - there has been hardly any publicity, I wonder if there will be a press campaign for September.

marthamoo · 14/06/2006 16:14

Just looked a Seona's link - there is to be an ad campaign.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 14/06/2006 20:14

GDG there is no way I could fit another car seat in my car.
Only room for 2 car seats.

Maybe I will look into getting a booster seat, what age do these start at?

Original poster
2shoes · 14/06/2006 21:27

i was thinking(doesn't happen often) do you pay vat on the seats?

OP posts:
LIZS · 14/06/2006 21:29

not done by age but weight of child. Boosters from 15kg, harnessed seats recomemnded for lighter

cat64 · 14/06/2006 21:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cazzybabs · 14/06/2006 22:14

It is only a £30 fixed penalty fine anyway - are the police going to bother enforcing it?

NotQuiteCockney · 15/06/2006 06:49

They don't enforce the current law, I don't know why they'd enforce the new one.

EmmyLou · 15/06/2006 11:18

Personally, I wish they would extend this law to other vehicles such as campervans as the hire companies seem to have no obligation to provide fot the safety of passengers. We hired a campervan (not VW type) a few years ago and I was appalled by the fact that there were no seat belts in the rear. DD1 and DD2 were 8 and 4 and I was 8 months pregnant so there was no way I was going to let them or me travel without restraint. We eneded up taking the car as well. In Australia, however, when we hired a camper recently it came with the same number of seat belts as berths and they provided a car seat for dd3 (2.6).

Surely legislation for hire comapnies would be easy to enforce.

Have been meaning to buy a better booster for dd2 (7) for a while and will do so now. But what to do with 11 year old???

3catstoo · 15/06/2006 13:39

Good point Cat64.
That was our thinking when we had 3.
If we can't afford a bigger car to fit 3 seats in then we won't have another. Not that easy if it's an accident or twins/triplets as you say.

We had an old style megane. There was no way 3 seats would fit in that, yet my friends Corsa does!
We went for a zafira in the end. Not too big but the option to use more seats if we need.

A relative of mine has 4 children and only the baby is in a car seat. The others are 9, 5 and 3. All under 5ft. I was horrified to find out.

I find it difficult when DS goes to friends for tea and the Mum says she'll drive him back. I always say' I'll give you the car seat then. On one occaision a mum drove my son back home (should have been a 2 minute walk !) and hadn't said she was driving. He came back in her sporty car with 3 children in the tiny back seat with no child seats.
OK it was just up the road but still anything can happen.

Is this law going to be for Europe too?

kayzed · 15/06/2006 16:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jenkel · 15/06/2006 16:29

My dd is nearly 4 and is still in a full car seat, also have a 2 year old in a car seat. Quite often I take other children (3-4 year olds) out in the car and have bought a £15 booster seat from Mothercare, just for the other kids. I couldnt live with myself if something happened and they were injured or worse!

PrettyCandles · 15/06/2006 16:45

I doubt that the law will be strictly enforced - after all, we see children travelling loose all the time. But what will probably happen is that it will become a factor in insurance and compensation issues: if you have a crash and it is shown that there was an unrestrained child in the car, then you might find your insurance invalidated. A bit I think like some of the Highway Code things that aren't strictly law, but affect how accidents are dealt with.

And I agree 100% that if you choose (or even just happen) to have more children than your car can legally carry with all the carseats, then you have to buy a new car and do without treats for as long as needed.

dinosaure · 15/06/2006 20:53

I'm dreading this. We don't have a car, but it will mean the end of ever ever getting a minicab anywhere, which will make life more difficult.

NotQuiteCockney · 15/06/2006 22:12

Um, dinosaure, you should be ok, because:

a) The Sharon has built-in Stage 1 car seats for at least 2 kids. Maybe more. Some minicab places have these.

b) The rules don't apply to non-regular journeys and circumstances. So, your daily work commute matters, but a one-off minicab trip doesn't.

cat64 · 15/06/2006 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

misdee · 15/06/2006 22:45

dd1 is 6years old, she waved top her friends out of the car window the other day whilst i was strapping the other in, her friends asked her why she was in a baby seat!! ShockAngry

madchad · 15/06/2006 22:52

We are about to have three under 3.5.
We have two BebeConforts side by side, 2 year old on passenger side, 3.5 year old in the middle, and the tiny baby seat by the door on the passenger side, ready for action.
I got the side by side tip from another Mumsnet thread about car seats.

madchad · 15/06/2006 22:54

Sorry, meant baby seat is on the passenger side (ie the safe side) and 2 year old is behind me on driver side.
The older ones can then climb across safely once baby is safe in buggy.

kayzed · 16/06/2006 09:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EmmyLou · 16/06/2006 09:42

We're just all jealous that you have a sportscar!

jampots · 16/06/2006 09:53

this sounds great - good excuse for not transporting other children around (under 1.35m at least)

threebob · 16/06/2006 10:35

My friends all put their 3 year olds in those boosters designed for 6 year olds - like their children are so advanced or something!

Ds meanwhile is still in his harness seat and will be until he weighs 18kg.

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