Child booster seats

[henry20]

Forgive me if this thread has been on here before,

What are your views on children needing booster seats up to the age of twelve?

Do you have children? Do you think it is going to be an easy transition to make?

Do you think there are any benefits to this new law?


I personally don't have any children, but I am taking my friends 5 year old to school on Monday and I don't fancy having to tell him that he has to use a booster seat. Nor do I fancy having to shell out money for a booster seat that is only going to be used, on average, once a week.

When I do have children, this won't be a problem for me as my children will have to use a seat from birth until 12 (unless they have a growth sprout).

But how do you tell a 9 year old that they have to use a booster seat when they haven't used one for years?

Also, if you have a 9 year old that is tall enough to not need one, how can you enforce that their 11 year old sibling has to use one!?

Also, do taxi's have to have 3 booster seats in the boot incase they get a fare for a mother with 3 children under 12?

[Bobinovich]

Luckily our kids, at 4 and 6, are still using booster seats and with ne'er a tall gene in their bodies may require them even when adult!!! However I feel for those who have not had to use them for a while and are now going to have to do so.

My own thoughts are that once a child hits double figures in age they should not require one, and according to the BBC FAQ on the subject, the new regulations state that children over the 135cm height don't have to (but recommends they continue to do so until they hit 150cm), and that most children hit the height of 135cm around the age of 9.

This link summarises it well...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4781511.stm?ls

[footie chick]

Also, do taxi's have to have 3 booster seats in the boot incase they get a fare for a mother with 3 children under 12?

Taxis are exempt!:roll: {They also have a law to themselves on the road!}

The problem is shops cashing in on it. At the start of August I bought a booster seat for £9.99 {not on offer} looked again last week up to £12.99! how can the justify this.

[changilass]

Taxi's are exempt from the ruling as are emergency journeys such as having to take the child to hospital

[henry20]

Luckily our kids, at 4 and 6, are still using booster seats and with ne'er a tall gene in their bodies may require them even when adult!!! However I feel for those who have not had to use them for a while and are now going to have to do so.

My own thoughts are that once a child hits double figures in age they should not require one, and according to the BBC FAQ on the subject, the new regulations state that children over the 135cm height don't have to (but recommends they continue to do so until they hit 150cm), and that most children hit the height of 135cm around the age of 9.

This link summarises it well...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4781511.stm?ls


It was after reading this link that I decided to post the thread (and after a discussion with my work colleague) However - at 26, I am not much taller than 1.35m myself :~( and I'm pretty sure that at 10, I would have been totally mortified if I was the only person my age that was having to use one. Not to mention all the ribbing that you would get from friends. (children can be cruel after all)

Also, are schools going to have a storage space for booster seats so that friends can be collected by other parents at the end of the day? It just seems to me that there will be a lot of hassle involved - I must admit that I am not aware of the safety benefits and as I don't have children, I have not looked into this aspect.

Thankfully my friend will be with me on Monday, as I feel that as I am not the childs parent, I do not have the same power to enforce rules.

[sapphire]

For me personally my family are now adults....however I whole heartedly agree with keeping children safe, especially in cars.We always used car restraints from the time of taking them home from hospital until they were of an age and size to use regular belts, even fitting ones in cars where there were none.I found my children to be accepting of the fact that it was for their safety ...Why are there still people out there who are driving around without having their children safely restrained?

I do realise that telling a youngster that they now have to sit on a booster seat may be a problem for some, but the onus must fall on the parents to protect their young at all times irrespective of costs or other considerations.
Oh and yes I believe that taxis should carry booster seats if required,and while I'm on my soap box can I just say that I think all buses should be fully kitted out with fitted seat belts ...although getting people to use them may be another problem!

[henry20]

Emergency journeys, I can accept, but why should taxis be exempt?? Surely they are as likely to have accidents as anyone else.

May I also point out, I have never said I am against the new law - just curious as to how others feel. I do not feel it is an issue for me as the law will be enforced by the time I have children.

I also feel that buses should carry seatbelts - how can you tell a child they must ALWAYS wear a seatbelt, but its ok not to when in a bus!? (same rule applies for booster seats in taxis!)

[kas]

Luckily our kids, at 4 and 6, are still using booster seats and with ne'er a tall gene in their bodies may require them even when adult!!! However I feel for those who have not had to use them for a while and are now going to have to do so.

My own thoughts are that once a child hits double figures in age they should not require one, and according to the BBC FAQ on the subject, the new regulations state that children over the 135cm height don't have to (but recommends they continue to do so until they hit 150cm), and that most children hit the height of 135cm around the age of 9.

This link summarises it well...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4781511.stm?ls

Thanks for that link.;) I only heard about this on the radio news half an hour ago, and though OH NO. I have a 9yr old and my partner a 10yr old. Thankfully after your link I have discovered niether of them need one as they are both over the 135cm regulation.Whew.

[kc]

I have 3 children the eldest being 11 and under the required height (they all are) Before all this i usually had 2 boosters in the car as 3 dont really fit well in the back, they would fight over who sat on the boosters as they all wanted to! being small they see better sitting on one. I heard that the oldest if under height and being 3 in the car can use an adult belt. I do prefer them using a booster as I think the belt fits better over the shoulder with one.

[bigpete]

Talking about seat belts - they do save lives - I was in the Fire Service when legislation came in on January 31, 1983. Up until that time it was usual to drive up with the appliance to an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) get into the fend-off position and you'd make a guess as to whether it was fatal, 9 times out of ten it usually was. After the date the law came in we were finding a number of times that what we would have expected as a fatal, would discover the driver/passenger badly knocked around, but still alive. It was a while later that rear belts came in.

Of course, not everyone agreed that it made sense to put a belt on - often it was the younger lads who thought it was a sign of being hard not to wear one. (sad gits)
One evening the bells went down and we were called out to an RTA on a dual-carriageway about a mile from the Station, we discovered two lads had been racing along the carriageway, there was a rise in the surface and just beyond was the solid concrete wall of a roundabout with a pedestrian walkway underneath - they had got smack bang into this, the passenger was still in the car, badly lacerated by glass, and a few broken ribs. There was no sign of the driver, but his side of the windscreen was missing, so we presumed he'd gone through the window.. Sure enough rushing up and looking over the wall down into the pedestrian walkway underneath, could make out a form lying on the raised flower beds, he was moving. I went down the side of the carriageway into the walkway and up onto the flower beds, whilst my colleagues dealt with the smashed vehicle and the passenger. By now the Police and Ambulance were in attendance. I helped the ambulance bloke up onto the flowerbed so he could attend to this chap. Just then a mate calls down "Pete, has that bloke only got one arm"? by now the ambulance man had cut off the blokes shirt and indeed he did only have one arm, it was difficult to see in the light there, but his left arm was missing from its socket - and the strange thing was, there was no blood. A few minutes later I handed over to another fire fighter and went back up to the vehicle, where one of our blokes was just retrieving a severed arm which was in the well of the car - again no blood - shortly after we ran around the nearby houses getting bags of peas etc and putting them in bin bags and putting this around the arm - the ambulance soon shot off to the hospital but they were unable to reattach it.
My point is it turned out this driver was one of those prats that just looped the seatbelt over his shoulder without clicking it in - this way the cops think he's wearing it, the force of going through the window and the nylon seatbelt had cauterised the ends of his arm and socket!
Jan 30 2003: Seat belts are a proven way of reducing the severity of injuries. The government has estimated that since seat belt wearing was made compulsory in 1983 it has reduced casualties by at least 370 deaths and 7000 serious injuries per year for front seat belts and 70 deaths and 1000 serious injuries for rear seat belts (DETR 1997).

I never move without a seat belt, or my family and me grandkids (all eight) are certainly secured as per the current regulations!

[bobsgirl]

I also feel that buses should carry seatbelts - how can you tell a child they must ALWAYS wear a seatbelt, but its ok not to when in a bus!? (same rule applies for booster seats in taxis!)

I have noticed that local buses around Thurso do have seatbelts on them. I remember taking the kids on the bus one day, they automatically put their seatbelts on and gave me in trouble when I didn't, so therefore I had to be a good mum and set an example.......why should rules change for other means of transportation......after all it is for the safety of the children.
I totally agree with the new law!

[mccaugm]

Quote..
I also feel that buses should carry seatbelts - how can you tell a child they must ALWAYS wear a seatbelt, but its ok not to when in a bus!? (same rule applies for booster seats in taxis!)[/quote]

My youngest is two and I have a spare car seat which I bought for the express purpose of "emergency" or "unexpected" journeys. I was brought up by parents who ALWAYS made me wear a seatbelt even before they became standard in cars. With regards to buses, I thought all buses had to be fitted with belts, any I have used have belts and my toddler is always restrained.

It makes me scream inwardly when I see a child standing up in the back seat of a car.

[rockchick]

I agree about wearing a seatbelt at all times. My car does not move until everyone is belted up! Especially kids. I was in an accident when I was 15 where I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, and since then I can't get into a car without one.

However, these booster seats don't seem to me to be well thought out. I have a 10-year-old daughter who luckily enough is tall enough not to need a booster; but she has friends below the height restriction. So if I want to drive her and her friends anywhere, I'd have to fork out for, say, three booster seats that I may only use a couple of times??? Don't think that's going to happen!

The other point that strikes me is what about when school groups or other groups, like Beavers or Brownies, go on an outing in the community bus? Is the bus company going to have to provide boosters? Or would buses be exempt as well as taxis? Just doesn't make sense.

Why not redesign the seatbelt so that the height of the shoulder-strap is adjustable to the person? Or bring back the lap-belt, which worked fine when I was a kid, as an option? There are other problems with seatbelt design, such as what do very obese people or pregnant people do?

Just another daft law that no one is going to follow....

[actros]

My eldest child is 10 and although he is above the recommended height for using an adult seatbelt without a booster seat he always requests to use his one as he can see better, is more comfortable and says he feels safer with his. As parents you would have thought that people would feel more inclined to use them for safty but then again willl the police do aything to enforce this law as how often do you se children sitting betwen the front seats and not restrained in any way.

[Alice in Blunderland]

I agree with the law as if it were my child hurt in an accident when using a poorly fitting belt I dont know if I could live with the guilt.We all accept that cars cost money its a never ending drain, first the cash to buy them then insurance, road tax and so on. In time we will all accept that this is for the best as im sure there were a lot of moans when the other law regarding belts was brought in.I happen to have a car which has built in child seats which fold away and two of the seats can ,with the pull of a tab collapse up into booster seats maybe this is something car manufacturers can do more about again this all costs money but what price do you put on yours or someone elses childs safety or even life whilst in your car.

[Julia]

Check out http://www.concord.de/ for crashtest videos of booster seats versus the use of a proper car seat. Tested during a crash at approx 17mph the booster seat just slides right out from underneath the child, scary stuff!

I've just bought my daughter a new seat seeing as she will be in it for a few years to come, it's the safest seat on the market according to Which magazine, it's a 'Concord Lift Evo PT'

She is five years old and 121cm tall (approx 3' 10")

[badger]

I've thought for some time that arrangements for carrying children are not practical. Seatbelts for children not in a special seat do not fit properly as they cut down the side of the neck and lap belts are dangerous. School runs are going to be a nightmare with this new law unless parents are going to remember to hand over their booster seat to whoever will be doing the next trip. Same goes for grandparents and anyone who carries children occasionally. Large child seats for younger children take up so much space you can only fit two in the back of most cars even if they have three seat belts. There was a very good product on Dragons Den this week to clip the diagonal belt down a bit so it fits better on a child and doesn't cut the neck but I'm not sure if it would fit most back seats. It seems now the only way you can carry a child without even a booster is in emergency.

As far as I know all Rapsons and Citylink buses are fitted with lap belts and children under a certain age (I think 14) are supposed to wear them but I doubt if they do and the drivers don't say anything. Not that lap belts are a good idea for children (see above). It would probably make the life of schoolbus drivers easier if all children were belted in but can't imagine how they would enforce it given today's unruly youngsters.

The cost of child car seats is horrendous. The designs are regularly superseded so older ones are no longer legal and you're not supposed to buy secondhand in case they have been involved in an accident and are no longer safe. I actually once had to change a car I had just bought because I needed to carry one child in the front and found the airbag could not be disabled, so of course that was illegal as well.

Obviously you can't put a price on a child's life but it does all make life very difficult for people who only carry children occasionally and of course however carefully you drive, you can't control what others may do. Wish someone would come up with an answer.

[Naefearjustbeer]

But how do you tell a 9 year old that they have to use a booster seat when they haven't used one for years?

Also, if you have a 9 year old that is tall enough to not need one, how can you enforce that their 11 year old sibling has to use one!?



Quite easy you are the adult, you are in charge of the car and who travels in it. Just tell them on a booster seat or take a hike.

[sharon]

as i always do, run at the last minute needing a 4th booster seat! i went to argos all boosters sold out!! went to another shop and looked at the boosters and thought that i would go for lunch first as i didnt want to have a clumpsy booster with me so decided to go back later and within an hour they put a increase on the price by £2....... ::roll:
i have a nearly 11 year old just under 1 cm from the requirement, that is not happy that i am making her sit on the booster!!

maybe i could do with it with being a little short behind the steering wheel [lol]

[footie chick]

as i always do, run at the last minute needing a 4th booster seat! i went to argos all boosters sold out!! went to another shop and looked at the boosters and thought that i would go for lunch first as i didnt want to have a clumpsy booster with me so decided to go back later and within an hour they put a increase on the price by £2....... ::roll:
i


Look on the bright side next week everyone will have one so the should come down in price:lol:
I too think its unfair that they are cashing in on the new law.

[Fluff]

with no offence to anyone, i am amazed at how much rights some people are giving your child. this will be the law, just because it is inconvenient it seems some people think their children should not have to use a seat- mainly beacuse they are not used to it!
this could be the differnce between life and death or very serious injury. i really fail to see the problem in the use of them
when i was little, my mum and dad got me one so i could see out the window lol but i do remeber the seat belt fitting better.

[Woolie]

my son is 10 and does not have to have one thankfully don't know how i would have managed to get him in one he was disgusted at the thought of having to have one.

[henry20]

with no offence to anyone, i am amazed at how much rights some people are giving your child. this will be the law, just because it is inconvenient it seems some people think their children should not have to use a seat- mainly beacuse they are not used to it!
this could be the differnce between life and death or very serious injury. i really fail to see the problem in the use of them
when i was little, my mum and dad got me one so i could see out the window lol but i do remeber the seat belt fitting better.


Having heard a bit more about this over the weekend, I am surprised that no-one has mentioned that it is only a requirement to carry 2 child/booster seats in the back as there is no room for 3. Therefore, if you carry 3 children below the height of 1.35m, only 2 use booster seats. How do you choose which child should be unsafe??

Many people have mentioned that the safety of the child is the most important factor - as it should be - but I fail to see how 3 children can be equally safe in the back of the car when only 2 can use booster seats.

Also, for this law to be fair it should be based purely on height - is a 1.2m 12 year old safe without a booster seat when a 1.3m 9 year old must use one? Doesn't seem to be based purely on safety in my opinion!

I wholeheartedly agree that children should use booster seats in the intrest of safety, but there would appear to be a lot of grey areas with this law.

One question, are you allowed to carry a child in a booster seat in the front of the car? I have never seen it publicised one way or the other. I would assume it is, as you can have a baby seat in the front of a car, but I may be wrong.

[Venture]

Seat belts are being used on the school bus to WHS. They had an inspector on yesterday making sure everyone used them. As for Taxis I dont think they should be exempt You can have an accident in a taxi just the same as you could in a private car. Mind you Dinas Taxis in Wick has always had a booster seat on offer in their taxi long before the rule came into being.

Is there also a rule thats come in saying that children under the age of 14 cant sit in the front seat?. If this is the case then I dont think many people know about it judging by the amount of kids Ive seen sitting next to the driver in various cars. Anyone know for sure

[henry20]

Venture, I would have to say that this is not the case - I have just searched the net and found the following information on www.childcarseats.org.uk (http://www.childcarseats.org.uk)

http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/images/uparrow_red.gifQ: I cannot fit three child restraints across the back of my vehicle?
A: It is best to keep children in the rear, where they are safest in a crash. However this is sometimes not possible when the three seats do not fit across the rear due to space. If you are having difficulty fitting three child restraints across the back because the central middle seat is a lap belt, then it is worth looking at the advice below on 'Can I use my booster seat with a lap belt? (http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/fromseptember06faq.htm#lap)'
The law will allow one child, who is over 3 years old, to use the adult belt in the rear if two occupied child restraints prevent the fitment of the third. The largest child may gain the most benefit from an adult seat belt.
However, it may be safer to put a child in the correct restraint in the front seat of the car rather than using a seat belt in the rear - especially if there is only a lap belt available.
NEVER put a rearward-facing baby seat in the front if there is an active passenger airbag fitted. It will be illegal to do so - and if it goes off, it will hit the baby seat and fling it forward with considerable force. The law will allow you to place a rearward facing child car seat in the front of a vehice but only if the airbag has been deactivated.
If you fit a forward-facing seat in the front, make sure that the car seat is as far back as it will go so your child is as far away from the dashboard as possible. Double check that the child seat is very securely held by the seat belt, and your child is securely held by the child seat's integral harness (if fitted), and that the child's feet are not close to the dashboard.
You should also check the manufacturers advice in the vehicle's handbook.

[topotheuk]

I have been trying to no avail to purchase one of these seats. I have also had my mum looking from south. She can't get one either. I have just had a look on ebay and find that the £8.99 ones you can buy in Argos are now between £35 & £50 on ebay. What a way to make a buck eh? I managed to get a brand new one for £15, but it's a shame on those who might need to fork out way over the odds to comply with this new law, because the big stores don't have enough stock to meet the demand. I would have thought that the bigger stores would have carried a bit more stock when they knew that many many parents would require to purchase one.

[footie chick]

Having heard a bit more about this over the weekend, I am surprised that no-one has mentioned that it is only a requirement to carry 2 child/booster seats in the back as there is no room for 3. Therefore, if you carry 3 children below the height of 1.35m, only 2 use booster seats. How do you choose which child should be unsafe??

Many people have mentioned that the safety of the child is the most important factor - as it should be - but I fail to see how 3 children can be equally safe in the back of the car when only 2 can use booster seats.

Also, for this law to be fair it should be based purely on height - is a 1.2m 12 year old safe without a booster seat when a 1.3m 9 year old must use one? Doesn't seem to be based purely on safety in my opinion!

I wholeheartedly agree that children should use booster seats in the intrest of safety, but there would appear to be a lot of grey areas with this law.

One question, are you allowed to carry a child in a booster seat in the front of the car? I have never seen it publicised one way or the other. I would assume it is, as you can have a baby seat in the front of a car, but I may be wrong.

At a push I can fit three seats in the back of my car. Totally agree with you it should be based on height and not age if its for safety reasons. Think you are allowed to use a booster seat in the front of a car as long as the seat is as far back as possible if there is a front passenger air bag, or if you can turn the air bag off.

[Naefearjustbeer]

I have no sympaphy for folk that don have one the law or change in it has been publicsed for quite a while, We went out and bought a extra booster seat to keep in the car just incase we ever had to take our neice or one of my daughters friends in the car a long time before any changes were muted. It is common sense that a small child must have a propor seat. Good on the ebayers for making a quick buck on other peoples slowness to catch up with the legislation.

[topotheuk]

Oh well that's me put in my place then isn't it. I wasn't complaining about the law. I have no problem with the law. I just thought that since it was a law coming into force that bigger stores would have been ready stocked with the required seats. That's all.

[henry20]

Oh well that's me put in my place then isn't it. I wasn't complaining about the law. I have no problem with the law. I just thought that since it was a law coming into force that bigger stores would have been ready stocked with the required seats. That's all.


I would agree - stores should have been aware of the potential market for the item and stocked accordingly.

[Naefearjustbeer]

I wasnt trying to have a go at anyone in particular. I was saying that we have had an extra booster seat kicking around for quite a long time, long before the new law came in. Back in april when we went to ireland we arranged car seats/ booster seats for the hire car because it was what was safest for our kids. It was nothing to do with the law. I or my wife would not of taken our kids or anyone elses kids for that matter in the car if they were not safely secured. The change in the law as far as I am aware has been advertised for quite a while. I am sure that lidls leaflets came through the door a while back quoting the new law and the fact that they had car seats and boosters for sale in the specials section the following week. I have also seen it advertised on Tv and the papers (local and national). I would of thought that anyone who needed a seat would of sorted something out a while back rather than leaving it to the last possible weekend. If it is deemed law that a child of a certain age/size requires a particular seat. Then I assume that the sizes ages etc have been worked out by suitibly qualified experts. If that is the case surely it would of made sense to get a seat as soon as you heard about the proposed legislation. Accidents can happen at any time so best to be prepared than to have the upset and injury because you were waiting until it became law to put your child in a seat. Better safe than sorry I say.

[highlander]

When i was in a taxi, it was quite a large car, and thought at the time i could have done with a booster seat, as i felt that the seatbelt was cutting into my neck, im glad the law has changed to protect the children, on a lighter note, i was rushing into work, sat at the till, and went to look for my seatbelt, i got a lot of strange looks lol

[Billy Boy]

the way some of the young folk drive about just teetering over the steering wheel, they could do with having a booster seat aswell:roll:

[JAWS]

Does anybody have the figures for the annual death rate amongst children caused by ill fitting seat belts?

[Andrew]

The Rapsons buses all have stickers beside all the seats advisign passengers to wear seatbelts. Its the law now - use a bus, you must wear a seatbelt.

Thank God these forums weren't on the go when the law changed for wearing motorcycle helmets on motorbikes or seatbelts in cars - the usual moaners would have had a field day!!!

[Naefearjustbeer]

the way some of the young folk drive about just teetering over the steering wheel, they could do with having a booster seat aswell:roll:


There was a teacher at the highschool that had a booster cushion on her driving seat so that she could see out over the wheel. I am a shorty and I was taller than her at school. Miss Fitzpatrick if I remember correctly

[henry20]

I imagine you have the right teacher there - she drives a little fiesta and can barely see over the steering wheel - I'm pretty sure she doesn't still use a booster seat, but I'll take a look next time I see her! ;)

[Naefearjustbeer]

My goodness is she still on the go. I thought she was a right old wifie when I was at the school. I have been out of the school now for 16 years now.

[henry20]

My goodness is she still on the go. I thought she was a right old wifie when I was at the school. I have been out of the school now for 16 years now.

She lives in Mount Vernon.

[mums angels]

I welcome the new law, I have 3 children aged 1, 4 and 7 ,however the new law has been somewhat confusing for people and for shopkeepers, I have a 7 seater car and often have more than my 3 in the car so i did the right thing and went to toys r us whilst on holiday and bought 4 booster cusions and my youngest has a front facing car seat already fitted, i asked the shop assitant what would the older two would require under the new law, she told me all i'd need is booster cusions because the children i have in the car would all be over the age of 4. (not including youngest) anyway this was a couple of months ago but yeaterday whilst speaking to a friend i was informed that a booster cusion is only suitable under the new law for children aged 6 or weighs over 22kg - which means my four year old and one of the children i take to school in the mornings isn't older/heavier enough for the cusions, so therefore now have to but two more boosterseats (with backs) for those two. the corrret information on the new law has not been easy for people to understand and shops like toys r us have not done there homework either. they sell booster cusions saying suitable from age 4 or 15kgs but the law says differently, i am very confused and now have a house full of booster seats
.

[Naefearjustbeer]

If it is complicated for the shops and the parents how on earth are our constabulary going to police it. I dont think they will be carrying tape measures and scales to measure the kids.
In fact they probally wont police it as the amount of young kids I see climbing around all over the back seats of cars whilst they are driving is unbelievable and I have yet to hear of anyone getting done for it.
It will be the same old story responsible parents will ensure the kids are secured and safe and those that dont bother probally wont change.

[Piglet]

Here is the link for Highland council Website with regard the legislation . . . http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/roadsandtransport/carseatlegislation.htm
Hope this helps.

[Naefearjustbeer]

There is a get out clause for the irresponsible on that page


Three exceptions allow these children to travel in the rear & use and adult belt, as follows:-

in a taxi if the right child restraint is not available
for a short distance on an unexpected journey if the right child restraint is not available
where 2 occupied child seats in the rear prevent the fitment of a third child seat

Officer says "Why isn't that child in an appropriate seat"
Driver says "Sorry officer this was an unexpected journey"