Booster seat on coach for reception school trip?

[Maybeitsok]

My just turned 5 year old is going on a school trip soon via busy dual carriageway to another city, journey time approx 45 min each way. They are still in a rear facing car seat with me, which is all they know, and how they will continue until they outgrow it at 36kg or 125cm tall. They’re currently only 16kg and 107cm!

Anyway, I was reluctant to let them go on the coach but have decided to do so but with a booster seat, so I’ve bought a carry on portable one that’ll be easy enough to use.

Thing is, they’ve asked if it’s just them that’ll have this kind of seat, and it probably will be, since people aren’t that clued up on car seat safety it seems.

Has anyone else sent their 4/5 year old with a booster before? I’m fearful they’ll be ridiculed but then again not sure considering their age. Safety first in my opinion, but want them
happy too.

My kids go on the school coaches and I stopped rear facing at age 3/4 rather than 5 but that’s just not true. Their legs don’t get squashed and loads of kids rear face past 2.

You really don't know of any? My kids were all tall and all rear faced till gone 4 perfectly comfortably. Many of their friends did too...in my experience it is very common knowledge. My eldest is 14 now, nearly 15, and while there weren't as many options around back then rear facing for what was termed 'extended' periods, it was very common knowledge even back then.

They all used big high backed boosters if travelling with my parents or whatever once they got past about 2.5.

I wouldn't have sent them with a booster on a coach however...and wouldn't assume that the majority of people either don't know or care about road or car seat safety.

New UN Regulation to enhance safety of transport of children in buses and coaches | UNECE

I expect at some point in the future, all children under 12 will travel on coaches with a booster seat, or specialized inbuilt children's seat, and we will view not doing so in much the same way as we now view driving under the influence, or driving without a seat belt. But it may take another generation.

@Maybeitsok

this comes down to three simple questions

1. what is more important to you
2. what is more important to your child
3. which wins?

and then how far are you going to take this - can others drive her in a booster etc

Parenting is all about balance and working out sometimes which is the least worst option for you

Something being legal doesn't make it safe.

This poor mother has clearly developed a severe post traumatic obsession and I would recommend that people stop engaging with such severe anxiety and paranoia. The OP is clearly extremely unwell.

😂

This comment isn’t doing what you think it is! It actually makes you sound unwell.

If you are concerned, and would have been willing to drive her, why not offer to go on the school trip as a helper? Most schools need helpers and that way you can keep an eye and see how it all works out for next time. Seems like best of both worlds and I actually did this myself.

@Maybeitsok I am an ERF parent, car seat fitter in a past life and I have D category licence to drive buses and coaches. I’m also the teacher who organises residential trips so do coach travel with kids!

My DC have never taken booster seats etc on coaches, for one,a coach seat and belt is not the same as a car seat or belt. The seat backs are manufactured to a different specification, there’s no lumbar roll, different side impact protection. The seat belts are designed to be adjusted to accommodate very small passengers and a good driver will come down the coach and check that the shoulder slide is down and in the right place - if it’s not they should get a teacher/known to the child adult to adjust it.
The seat belt plug also sits in a different position to accommodate a range of lap sizes.

Furthermore, your DC is too little for a booster seat in a car, so too little to use one on a coach. Inappropriate seat usage puts your DC at risk.
if you’re going to insist on using something, it should be the appropriate seat for your child.
But do not rely on staff to fit it correctly - why would they know for sure how to?

I would place money upon the fact your child will be safer in a coach, in a properly adjusted seatbelt than in a car.

Thanks for the reply.

The booster w got it suitable for their height and weight, however it is not a high back booster so doesn’t offer much protection but will obviously sort the seat belt issue.

As far as I understand it, coaches seat belts are adjustable but to adult spec. They are not designed for little bodies, and cannot adjust to fit them securely hence the need for a booster. Everything I’ve read online says this too. Is that it right? Can the seat belts adjust to a perfect fit for a 4 year old?

I was in 2 (yes 2) school bus crashes as a kid…one major, one minor. Back in the days when we didn’t wear seatbelts. 1 injury in the major-a broken leg. No injuries in the minor.

I still let my kids travel on school buses without booster seats.

I don’t understand what your question is really.

if the school are fine with it then what’s the problem. My concern would be who would install it (assuming it needs installing) but if that’s sorted then no issue.

I agree with this

I’m not sure what the point of your post is, you aren’t interested in hearing opinions different than your own.

You very clearly have a fixed opinion already before you posted. Have you just come here to lecture us all on car seat safety? If so just start a post stating that.

A report produced by axkid
remind me what they do again???

Of course they do. Some even go on motorways.

My 6 year old son went on a school trip today, and was fine. No booster seat, lots of fun, came back in one piece.

I'm sure you are doing the best thing for your child, OP, and it's not anyone else's place really to tell you otherwise. It is very much your perogative to do what you feel best, both for you and your DC. If you want to reduce the risk of injury by using a booster seat, that's cool. But, very kindly, perhaps you could think about the risk of things going wrong being less than you think, and the practical side of staff installing the seat, carrying it, and how your DC is the only one who needs one etc.

Maybe all these things might be ok, and you'd have no reason to worry,, and your DC is more than likely to be fine, have lots of fun, without using the seat. Would it be ok to go on the trip without it? 🤔

I know we all want to protect our children as much as possible, but I think there does come a point where you have to accept that nothing is zero risk and let statistics do the work.

The chances of OP's child being killed or seriously injured on a single coach journey are probably one in ten billion or thereabouts (450 million journeys per year, 40 people average per coach, maybe two deaths on average?). And the chance of the booster seat being what makes a meaningful difference are probably ten times lower again. If something goes properly wrong, say the coach catches fire or rolls down a bank, the booster will have no effect.

Child seats and boosters are mandated by law because at the level of the population they make a difference over a year, saving perhaps 10 or 20 children over and above those saved by seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and better brakes, to name just a few of the improvements to cars in my lifetime.

I don't want to be all "Eeeh, in my day we all went on the motorway with our heads hanging out the windows, and it never did us any harm, apart from the ones who got killed obviously". But I do think it's possible to worry a bit too much about an 0.00000001% risk. If you do a lot of research you can probably find that your chances of surviving an air crash are 3% higher in row 12, but most people are not going to insist on booking row 12 for that reason.

Sure, this is still a possibility of mine hence the post in the first place!

Interestingly everyone has glossed over this article posted earlier on!

unece.org/sustainable-development/press/new-un-regulation-enhance-safety-transport-children-buses-and-coaches

This is a bizarre argument. An accident could happen anywhere. Drugged up drivers doing 90mph don’t just stick to dual carriageways. Or a medical emergency behind the wheel could happen anywhere. You should probably avoid all roads op.

It’s not bizarre at all.

High speed accidents are obviously for the most part, more serious and more dangerous.

I’m surprised you even leave your house.

Errrr…. ok

Rear facing as a 5 year old? I can't even picture this in a car? How does that even work?