Car Seat Laws

[Shewolf]

Just wanted to know if anyone is having the same problem as me with the new laws starting in September.

I have three kids almost 8, 5 and two. The problem I'm having is that I can fit three large seats in the back of my car. During the week, we use my car. The 2 younger ones sit in the back in proper car seats, and the older on sits in the front in a booster (with no airbag I might add). The problem starts at the weekend when my hubby is at home. We can't all fit in with three child seats !!!

I have a few options:

1. Put my 2 year old in a smaller seat with a adults seatbelt (not wanting to do this as he can get his arms out by himself)
2. Try a squeeze a booster seat in the middle of the two larger seats. (this isn't a good idea as it makes the other seat not fit properly, and everytime my oldest removes her seatbelt, she unclips the baby seat as it is such a tight fit she can't see which clip is which, so I have to re-fit the seat on virtually every journey.
3. Spend a few more thousand on a 7 seater MPV (can't afford this!!)

What am it supposed to do?? Surely I'm not the only one having this problem. We don't have a particularly small car- we have a Vectra. I've been into mothercare to see if they do a slimmer seat, but they we no help at all. All they suggest is we replace all the seats to find a combination that fits our car !!!

I take car safety seriously, and I would love to find a soluation that isn't going to cost a fortune, or if someone knows somebody in the car seat industry, please suggest they find a solution to this!!

[Karnevil]

oh yes. I've tried and can't do it.

I have ageds 7, 5 and 3 and they are all on booster seats just so I can fit them in the back. When they bring in these news laws they should give grants to buy bigger cars. In fact I think they want us all to buy bigger cars so we can pay them more tax.

Do you know the exact laws - does the 3 year old have to be in a seat thing with a back ?

and none of them can go in the front cause I have an airbag that you can't switch off.

most difficult thing is getting the seatbelts on - theyhave to get in one at a time in order to be able to do it which is pants when its raining

[Shewolf]

The seats are based on weight, so I'm not sure if the 3 year old needs a back on the booster, however, I noticed in a booklet for mothercare they said that a booster is the minimum they need (in others words they want to make as much money as possible out of this law!)

I'm 90% sure that you can't have a child in the front with a airbag. I know that it's going to be illegal, if it isn't already, to have a rear (0-9mths) seat in the front with an airbag.

I agree with you, there should be some kind of grant towards this new law !! After all, we all want to keep our kids safe, not just those that can afford it!!

[nikkiandmidgets]

Does anyone know what the laws are for taxi's? I have two babies aged 10.5 months and 20 months and dont drive. To have to take the seats out of my husbands car(Big enough nightmare as have to do it when kids are sleeping), then carry them, two babies, pram, nappy bag etc and get it all in the taxi would be a nightmare, and what am I supposed to do with them when the journey is over? If I am going to the supermarket/dentist/into town etc I cant exactly carry them about with me! Do taxi drivers have to provide them by law? What happens if I get a lift over to visit a family member and my lift home lets me down - not well\had to go offshore etc? Or if I am out with the pram and the weather turns really bad or one of the kids becomes ill or gets fed up with the pram and wants lifted? The train station isnt open yet in my village, the buses are mini buses and not very regular and would involve 2-3 different ones as this is a branch of the main routes (And the thought of getting me and the kids and the pram onto the bus without the kids having hysterics because I cant hold them both, fold and carry the pram and the bags I need to cart around! Are buses excluded from the new car seat laws (They were before).

Cheers for any info\advice\tips\weblinks !

[ian cognito]

There has been a lot of complaint over lack of information on this. It's not quite as rigid as it looks and Mothercare should certainly know this.

A third child over 3 may travel without a booster seat but must use a seat belt if available.

The law does not apply to taxis, buses or coaches but seat belts must be worn where available.

A third child may travel unrestrained in the back seat if the fitting of two booster seats prevents the use of the third seat belt.

The airbag in the front applies only to rear facing baby seats.

Now all you've gotta do is work out which one of your three children is least important to you so you can decide which one not to strap in!!!!

UK Department for Transport | THINK! Road Safety - Welcome to the THINK! web site

[towelie]

Dont know if this helps anyone but if the child is under 11 but over 4ft 5 they dont need any kind of seat and is fine just wearing a seatbelt.

[jimfishybob]

Originally Posted by Shewolf

...and the older on sits in the front in a booster (with no airbag I might add).

Is this that the car doesn't have an airbag or that you switch the airbag off? If it's the latter , the airbag should only be disconnected for rear-facing baby seats.

[pjdudley69]

I think this new law has caused a lot of confusion for everone [everything I saw advertising it seemed to contradict each other!] My kids came home with a booklet from school yesterday, which tells you who should have what kind of restraint. It says that:
a child from 3rd birthday up to 135cms in height [or 12th b/day, whichever they reach first - in the front seat the correct child restraint must be used, and in the rear seat correct child restraint must be used where seat belts fitted. Must use adult best in a rear seat if correct child restraint not available - in a taxi; for a short distance in an unexpected necessity; if two occupied child restraints prevent fitting a third.

There is also a q&a page, which says 'What if I can't fit 3 child seats in the back of my car?' If a car has 3 seat belts in the rear, and 2 occupied child seats or boosters prevent the fitting of a third, a third child 3 yrs or over may then use an adult belt. It there is room, it would be safer for the third child to travel in the front seat and use the correct child seat or booster. So I'd suggest you carried on as you did before Wolf, with ur 8 year old on the booster in the front.

Sorry it's long-winded, but our kids safety is foremost, so didn't think anyone would mind me rambling lol Hope it helps

[Gary29]

Hi,

My son is 6, and we have bought a high backed booster seat, which cost £40, because we couldn't understand this, because Kieran is under the height range and the weight range, he used to have a booster seat, but because we fitted the belt under the arm rest to keep it of his neck, we were told by Halfords that this would do more harm than good, so we bought the high backed one, now when my wife spoke to halfords months before the law came in, they were having trouble understanding it.

Now if you travel in a taxi, you don't have to use seats, but if you help a freind out in an emergency, as long as it is not a school run they can go in the car without a seat, but if it's a school run they have to have a seat.

Now what get's me is, that my son's seat uses the car's seat belt, but my daughter who is 2 in a couple of weeks, has to have a seat with an integral harness, the seat belt gets tested in the MOT of the car once a year, but my daughters seat gets no test at all, unless we do it, now what happens to the child in an integral harness that dosen't get checked :o .

My wife brought this up on sky news the night the law came into effect.