Thread: Car seats
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Old 30-09-2006, 12:50   #8
jambutty
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Cool Re: Car seats

The best way round the booster seat rule is to make the kids walk to school.

Of course booster seats are not required on coaches, buses or taxis so it really makes nonsense of the edict. Buses, coaches and taxis also have accidents. But there are other exceptions. For instance if two booster seats are installed in the back seat the and there isn’t room for a third seat to be installed (and in most cases there won’t be) then the kid sat in the middle can legally use just the lap belt. For me that says it all. If the kid in the middle can safely use a lap belt why can’t the kids on either side do the same? The real answer is to force car manufacturers to make seat belts adjustable to accommodate all sizes of passengers once they are eligible to come out of ‘baby’ seats. I also understand that normal seat belts can be adapted so that the shoulder strap does go over a small person’s shoulder and not round their neck but can also be used by a taller person without any fiddling about.

What about a small adult driver under the minimum height? People that I can only describe as dwarfs because I know of no other name to use. Would s/he have to use a booster seat to drive? The law is under 135 cms (4 ft 5 ins) or under 12 years of age. There are plenty of kids of 13 or 14 who are under that height and they will become the laughing stock of their mates because they have to use a booster seat. There are also plenty of 11 year olds taller than 4ft 5 ins but because they are under 12 they too will have to use a booster seat if they are to conform to the law.

This law is yet another example of some idiot in government having what he or she thinks is a brilliant idea but hasn’t thought it through.

This latest “We must do as the government tells us” is claimed to save some 1,000 injuries and fatalities to children in a year. Is that 999 injured and one killed or is it one injured and 999 killed? Statistics that group incidents are worse than useless.

OK! So we should try and do all we can to protect children from adult stupidities but there are more injuries and fatalities to children being knocked down than inside cars.
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Last edited by jambutty; 30-09-2006 at 13:59.
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