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Car Seat rules... How many are YOU breaking?
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SplitPea




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 9:52 pm
I was really sickened to see a TWO 1/2 year old in a booster seat for a carpool the other day. And it got me wondering do parents not KNOW or not CARE about the laws for seat belt and the rules for car seat safety?

FYI

A child under age four who weighs more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. A child of age 4, 5, 6 or 7, must use a booster seat with lap and shoulder belt or a child safety seat (The child and safety restraint system must meet the height and weight recommendations of the restraint manufacturer.)

An appropriate child safety restraint system:

Is required for all children until their 8th birthday and,
Must meet the size and weight requirements for the child based on the Federal requirements and the recommendations of the manufacturer, and
Can be a child safety seat, a harness, a vest or a booster seat attached with the vehicle seat belt or latch system, but not the vehicle seat belt alone, and
Should not be used in the front seat of the vehicle.

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/broch/c-1.htm

These are the LAWS from NYS dmv. No booster until over 40 pounds or 4 years of age...

Now these next ones are not LAWS but are rules for using the seat properly that I see not happen so many times its making me sick.

Kids should NOT be turned at their 1st birthday new apa recommendations is at least 2 years but preferably until they have reached the rear facing limits of their seat.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH......html


Rear facing the car seat shoulder harness should be at or below the shoulder when rear facing and at or above when forward facing
http://www.orbitbaby.com/en/ar.....fety/

The chest clip is just that a CHEST clip and not meant to be worn at the belly but between the shoulders
Here is a post from britax's facebook https://www.facebook.com/note......93102

The harness should be TIGHT you should not be able to pinch the straps vertically. Here are instructions for a pinch test: http://www.car-seat.org/showth.....49030

And last but not least please don't use extra padding in car seats... bundle me's, snow suits, and big puffy coats all are not safe in car seats and post an ejaculation hazard.
http://carseatsmadeeasy.blogsp......html

and here about a kid who was recently ejected for just this reason http://thestir.cafemom.com/bab....._seat

Car seats expire!!! Every carseat has a manufacture date on them and most have a dont use after date on them. If not typically they expire after 5 years. Some like radians have more. (Link to follow)

If your car is in an accident EVEN IF THE CARSEATS ARE UNOCCUPIED the carseats need to be replaced. Insurance must cover this. (Link to follow)



I am sorry if I sound preachy or holier than thou here... but I honestly wonder if people NOT know these things or know them and choose to ignore them and I had to say something.


Last edited by SplitPea on Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:14 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 9:57 pm
Most things people don't know, some they don't care. Some of them people know but don't realize the importance.

I see such a cavalier attitude toward car seat safety and I think that's because so many of the new safety rules were not around 10 years ago and it takes a long time for people to realize new things are important and have reasons...I mean we all survived not being in a car seat past 2 or whatever! (By default, those who didn't unfortunately are not here to tell the tale.)
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 9:59 pm
One thing I will say is that not in the front seat is not as set in stone. The front seat is not as safe as the back seat, but with an airbag off (or not present), it's better for a harnessed 5 yo to be there than an unharnessed 8 yo IMHO. I'm not comfortable doing it -- none of my kids sit there, but if a family is stuck with that many seats, I'd prefer a child in a safer seat there.
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 9:59 pm
I think people know and they do care, but when you've got a bunch of kids and have been buckling up for over a decade, you can become complacent. most people do believe that it is unlikely *they* will ever be in a serious car accident and when you want to join a carpool and the other mothers put their 2 yo's in boosters it starts to seem ok.
I will say that when my oldest was 4 I turned down carpools that 'double buckled' or didnt want to put my kid in a booster. now that my youngest is just 3, I still wouldnt join that type of carpool but once in a while if my dh picks her up and doesnt have her carseat, he will buckle her in a booster. its not great, but ::::Sigh:::: even the best of us arent perfect all the time.

all that said, you are totally right. its against the law and more important, its not safe.
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octopus




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 10:01 pm
I had no idea it was recommended rear facing until two!
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popcorn1




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 10:09 pm
How about when you see fathers driving with the kids jumping around in the back seat??? I've seen this quite a few times. I wonder if their wives know! I would think seat belts is a bare minimum!
But I do understand why ppl switch to booster seats too early. it takes a lot faster to buckle a kid in, takes up less space, easier to switch to another car....but yes I agree its still not an excuse when it comes to your kids safety!
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Rodent




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 10:50 pm
I'm not breaking any of our local car seat laws. Seats here are only rated to 12kg rear-facing at most (some of them are 9kg). Benaya was 10kg by 5 months, to think that he will be rear facing at 2 is ridiculous. If he makes it to a year I would be surprised, good thing the law here isn't the same
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 10:56 pm
There aren't convertible car seats?!
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bbmom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:04 pm
I don't break any of the above listed rules but the one thing I do break is harnessing a child while wearing a bulky coat. I just can't figure out how to transport them on freezing days without doing that. People have suggested taking the coats off once in the car but I'm just not super-mom enough for that. My kids are 18 months, just turned 3 and just turned 4.

I do have them in down-coats which compress much more than polyester ones but that really me justifying myself.
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ElTam




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:06 pm
I do follow all of but one of these.

I let my kids keep their coats on. The youngest is three. I tighten the straps down as tight as they will go after I put the three year old in. It can be -4 degrees with the windchill when we go out to the car in the a.m. When they were in the rear-facing infant seat, I strapped them and then put blankets over. But when they are walking to the car, or I am carrying them in my arms not in a carrier, I'm not going to take their coat off and put them in a car that's covered in ice and snow.

My daughter who is about to turn 9 in a few weeks and who is the biggest girl in her class gave me no end of grief because she was still in a booster when no one in her class was. I didn't care. I still don't like to look back there and see her with no booster, even though she meets the age and weight requirements. Makes me feel like I am doing something wrong.
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Rubber Ducky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:06 pm
Here's something I learned about car seats while researching convertible seats for wonderful granddaughter:

Car seats have expiration dates!
And if they've been in a major crash you're supposed to retire the seat too.
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SplitPea




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:07 pm
bbmom wrote:
I don't break any of the above listed rules but the one thing I do break is harnessing a child while wearing a bulky coat. I just can't figure out how to transport them on freezing days without doing that. People have suggested taking the coats off once in the car but I'm just not super-mom enough for that. My kids are 18 months, just turned 3 and just turned 4.

I do have them in down-coats which compress much more than polyester ones but that really me justifying myself.


We have what's called a car seat poncho for cold days. We put dd in a fleece jacket and then she has her double layered fleece poncho with batting. They can be purchased online (we made our own) and are amazing. Just google car seat poncho Smile
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:08 pm
That's how I feel when I turn my 3+ kids around!

My FF kids take off their coats themselves, they can't buckle otherwise! My RF kids I put in a thin warm non bulky jacket (fleece or suede) or a poncho which works great.
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SplitPea




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:11 pm
Rubber Ducky wrote:
Here's something I learned about car seats while researching convertible seats for wonderful granddaughter:

Car seats have expiration dates!
And if they've been in a major crash you're supposed to retire the seat too.


Yep! I should probably add that on!!!! I hate seeing kids in seats their 15 year old sibling used!
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:13 pm
We cross posted, Split Pea.

Good point, Rubber Ducky, about expirations! We've so far expired one infant, one convertible, one combination, and we're about to expire another convertible the end of 2013.
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bbmom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:15 pm
There are days when the morning temp is in the single digits and lower. I can't take my kids out of my house in a thin fleece jacket. To me that sounds more dangerous then buckling them in with their coats and making sure that the harness is ON the shoulders and not sliding off (common problem with coats) and tightening the straps as much as they can go - like I said down coats compress a lot.
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:18 pm
In a crash, they can compress more, slackening the straps Sad

How far is the walk from your home to the car?

With hats and gloves, I don't find my kids to be ultra freezing in the 1.5 minutes they get loaded in.


Last edited by Hashem_Yaazor on Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
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SplitPea




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:19 pm
I feel like I am on such a rant... Should I mention installing seats properly where they can't move more than an inch side to side And using the teather lol.
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gp2.0




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:19 pm
By the time DD was a little over a year old, she no longer fit rear facing. Where are the kids supposed to put their legs? Tucked up to their chests? I don't get it. By the time their feet can hit the backseat, it's time to turn around.
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jan 10 2013, 11:20 pm
No, it's not. Some 9 months old are tall.

What it means is that it's time to get a ROOMIER car seat. Most car seats these days are made with this in mind since the age has gone up, the weight limits and space has also gone up. My kids fold their legs (I have a pic if you want to see).
Better a broken leg (which there are no stats actually happen!) than internal decapitation, R"L.
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