Car seats
 

Well, the new law has been in force for two weeks - all children must be in booster seats.

I don't think it was particularly well advertised and I don't think that everyone is upholding it. I glanced in a few cars near the school and they didn't all have seats in. So, I wonder when the first prosecution will be or are the police going to ignore it (much as they ignore the law about speaking on you mobile in the car).

Re: Car seats
 

speaking on a mobile phone while your kids are jumping about in the back playing with the dog. on a roundabout.

you watch. it happens.

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Well acording to the Observer Argos could not keep up with demand for the seats and other shops had the same problem.

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We were really last minute about it and heard that Netto had some. So I went on the Monday morning to get four - two for each car and people were literally streaming out of the shop with them. I was very lucky to get the last two and so now we're swapping them about between cars because we can't find any more.

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you could avoid all this aggro- shove em in the boot.:D

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Im selling a car seat, have a look in the stuff for sale section.

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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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The law is making about as much sence as wearing thermal clothing on a tropical beach in the middle of the day. My daughter is 5' 6" and 10 so would have to use one. Is this law all of the UK or just England and Wales?

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At such a height on a booster seat your daughter’s head could well be ABOVE the headrest and that presents its own dangers.

I don’t know for sure SPUGGIE J but the chances are it is for just England and Wales.

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Jambutty made a valid point.

It isn't just a law for children, its based on height. So anyone regardless of age who is below the minimum height will be required to use one.

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Height restrictions might not apply after the age of 14 according to this table:-

Adult passengers (ie 14 years and over) Seat belt MUST be worn if available.

The main table can be found here:-


I just wonder who has decided to define 'adult' as 14?

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You are a little mixed up. It is children under 12 and under the height limit that need a booster seat. They actually don't need a booster seat, they need a child restraint tested according to ECE R44.03. this might be a child seat, booster or one of these seat belt adjusters from Autosafe. So a dwarf ( Miss T.Belle for example ) over the age of 12 does not need a child restarint to comply with the law. Have a read of this government web site, it explains it all.

No, it is based on age and height but, over 12 can use a normal adult belt regardless of height Rindy.

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Not according to that table that both neil and I have put links to Rindy.

Hang about though even that table seems to contradict itself!:D

Extra, extra, bit.

Cutting through it all it would have been simpler just to put from 12 and left out the bit about 14 year old adults.:rolleyes:

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It would, but then we would not have had a thread to discuss it in :D

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Much obliged for the pointer Neil. It certainly clarifies things.

I also notice that the responsibility of a 14 years old or older for wearing a seat now rests with the passenger. It used to be the driver. About time too.

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Thats the bit Less refered too. He must not have noticed the last column in the table.

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It's limited to age 14 to exempt Simon Cowell.

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That is not the only journey that they make in the car. Wherever possible we do walk to school but I really can not force the kids to walk to Darwen to see their Grandma or over to Oldham so they can play with my friend's daughter!

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They could also catch a bus without any form of child restraint what so ever :eek: :confused:. I am amazed that all new cars have had to have rear seatbelts since 1985 but, there was no such requirement for busses. Why not? All passenger seatbelts should be suitable for both adult and children passenger's. It's not hard to design a seat belt that is adjustable in that way, you can, as I have linked too above buy after market ones. Come on Government types, pull your finger out and introduce some sensible regulations for cars.

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As I stated earlier this booster seat law has been ill thought out and as Neil points out, isn’t consistent. Although I understand that all new coaches have a seat belt for each seat but passengers are not obliged to use them.

For me this is just another example of the Labour government telling us what we should do and how we should do it.

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I think it is unfair to blame just one Party or one Government. As I said rear belts had to be in new cars from 1982. Thats 24 years ago. Why did they not make it the same rule for all vehicles. I think that all vehicles should have 1 belts per seat. Why also do many people with large families think it is ok to stick 4 or 5 children on the backseat designed for 3. We must all of seen it, it is that common place. I would have liked to see the current legislation upheld more before we even got to the stage of new child restraint law.

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One thing about the new law that annoys me. My lad is about 2cm under height so needs to use a child restraint. I have a baby seat on my rear seat on the passenger side. A booster seat behind the driver's seat for my 5 year old. There is not enough room to fit another booster in the middle. My car is a large Citroen Xantia estate not a little hatchback. It has a rear centre seatbelt that is a lap and diagonal type belt. This is on a 1997 car. The top part of the belts comes out of the top of the seat and is the perfect position for my son without a booster seat. The law belt sits on his hips not his stomach. According to the law he can't use it as it is, the only way I am getting away with it is because i can't fit another booster in the car.

Before someone suggests I put him on the front seat, I can't. Read this bit about air bags from my link above

My car's hand book says not to put children under the age of 10 in the front seat because of the air bag.


Why don't they legislate against new cars having lap only belts?

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This booster seat law has been brought in by the current government, which is the Labour Party. Thus they get the blame for a half-baked law. They have had nigh on ten years to tighten up the rules on seat belts but have done nothing, as have the Tories previously so they both get blamed for that.

If seat belts are a safety feature, which they are, then everyone in a motor vehicle should be obliged to use one when travelling in a car etc. I accept that passenger seat belts in a bus wouldn’t be practical but buses do crash also. What about trains? No seat belts there. Aeroplanes use seat belts for landing and take-off and in rough flying conditions.

A van delivery driver (white van man) does not have to wear a seat belt whilst delivering. Why not? Is he not likely to have an accident?

Anyway it seems like we are drifting off the topic of booster seats for kids so I’ll leave it at that.

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Why not? It seams easy to me. All busses should have seat belts. You sit on the seat and put the belt on. What could be easier than that. They should of course all be lap and diagonal not lap only. Oh yes and while we are on about buses, there should be no standing passengers allowed. We would all be horrified to see some kiddies stood up in the back of a car. Whats the difference?

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If they can put seatbelts in planes then I'm sure they can fit them onto buses.