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

SplitPea

Fri, Jan 11 2013, 2:20 pm

Shmerling wrote:

So I guess the rule about taking off coats applies to adults too?

Also all these rules were made in regard to a crash on a highway driving at 60-70 mph. I dont think you have to be just as strict when driving on quiet residential streets going 5-10 mph.

most accidents happen within 5 miles of home and crashes can be just as devastating at 35 mph

Fri, Jan 11 2013, 2:27 pm

Shmerling wrote:

Shoulder belts generally automatically tighten or retract in case of a crash. Have you ever had to suddenly decelerate and found your shoulder belt had become uncomfortably tight?

Most trips are close to home, and most accidents are too. And traffic in my quiet suburban neighborhood is significantly faster than 5-10 mph.

Last edited by cm on Fri, Jan 11 2013, 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total

irrationalrose

Fri, Jan 11 2013, 2:34 pm

No one is saying not wear seatbelts, just that a person probably wont be ejected from their car seat if they are wearing a puffy coat and going 25 mph. The baby in that story the other mother linked to was driving on a highway, no?

imamiri

Fri, Jan 11 2013, 3:33 pm

cm wrote:

Shmerling wrote:

^^This. Your shoulder harness tightens quickly and rather uncomfortably if you hit the brakes fast. Your child's car seat straps do not.

bamamama

Fri, Jan 11 2013, 5:18 pm

cm wrote:

Shmerling wrote:

Yes, Shmerling. Adults really should take coats off, too, in an ideal world. Those who mentioned the seatbelt locking are right, though.

I certainly don't risk driving at all anywhere with my kids unsafely buckled. It's just not worth the risk. Plus, if you're always strict about car seat safety with kids, they take it seriously and are more conscientious about it than I am, even.

SplitPea

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 6:18 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks so much for starting thread! Now how to do I get my friends who are not on here to read this whole thread. More importantly, the ones that drive my kids' carpools Sad

Honestly I wish pediatricians would be more proactive on making sure parents know this info... but alas... I am not sure.

SplitPea

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 6:24 pm

while we are on pet peeves with car seats. JUST because he low allows it IT IS NOT SAFE to go in a cab without a carseat!!!!!

You would never get into your own car without one (and if you would well....) there is nothing about a cab that makes them "safer" than cars. NOTHING. They typically drive MORE recklessly than you or I would. (busses and trains on the other hand even though I wish restraining devices were available and used are statistically more safe)

Its a pain but your kids SHOULD be in carseats in taxis. EVERY TIME.

_ This coming form a mom who woke her older daughter up at 1 am to drive to the er and pick up dh and younger daughter so that younger daughter would not have to take a cab home without a carseat. YES ITS THAT IMPORTANT.

Car seat in every vehicle every time@

Hashem_Yaazor

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 9:06 pm

http://mommieslike.com/commonl.....eats/
This article explains weight limits for LATCH.

Most minivans have LATCH in the middle seat. The problem is that many people see the anchors in a regular car on both sides and think they can use them to stretch the LATCH straps when installing in the middle. Cars aren't made to have 3 car seats in a row, and I think since LATCH is easier to get a good install, I'd rather have it there in case people are using the sides with 2 car seats, if it's hard to have them next to each other. As busydev said, it's perfectly safe without LATCH as long as it's installed properly.

With regards to outgrowing RF: it's not that limits go by height these days, but rather most kids outgrow by height than by weight. If your child is a chubby, short one, he can't be RF in his seat that only RFs till 35 lbs when he's 40 lbs...

Regarding Scenera: I agree it's perfectly safe (if you can get a good install, many people have to use pool noodles, which is fine, just be aware of that) but it doesn't last long at all. Many 4-5 year olds will outgrow it. The shoulder strap slots are not so high, so even a skinny average-tall kid won't last in it, despite being in a good weight range.

Regarding compression: Even going 25 mph, compression happens. The force is based on weight*speed. It gets really powerful, really quickly.

Hashem_Yaazor

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 9:07 pm

SplitPea wrote:

amother wrote:

Thanks so much for starting thread! Now how to do I get my friends who are not on here to read this whole thread. More importantly, the ones that drive my kids' carpools Sad

Honestly I wish pediatricians would be more proactive on making sure parents know this info... but alas... I am not sure.

A friend told me a few years ago that her doctor (I'm not sure ped or OB) gave her permission to switch her 10 month old, 18 lb kid FF for convenience reasons. I was horrified.

granolamom

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 9:16 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

SplitPea wrote:

amother wrote:

Thanks so much for starting thread! Now how to do I get my friends who are not on here to read this whole thread. More importantly, the ones that drive my kids' carpools Sad

Honestly I wish pediatricians would be more proactive on making sure parents know this info... but alas... I am not sure.

A friend told me a few years ago that her doctor (I'm not sure ped or OB) gave her permission to switch her 10 month old, 18 lb kid FF for convenience reasons. I was horrified.

yes, I've heard similar stories.
another glaring example of why we shouldnt blindly follow every recommendation made by a dr, but that is for another soapbox Smile

pediatricians should be proactive about carseat safety. and bike helmets. and household pools. and a zillion other things. I can forgive omission (they have to see so many patients and dont have lots of time to spend talking) even though I think it should be a priority, but irresponsible misinformation is reprehensible!

emama

Sat, Jan 12 2013, 11:51 pm

Someone mentioned a Bundle Me in a post. A Bundle Me is not safe to use in a car. I know everyone uses them, and I was shocked when I read about this, but it potentially interferes with the carseat's straps. Use of it will actually nullify the warranty of the carseat. The Bundle Me company claims it meets some regulation, but please read www.thecarseatlady.blogspot.com and see what she says about it. If you have been using a Bundle Me, you can cut open the back part and use it safely. All is explained on the carseat lady site.

studying_torah

Sun, Jan 13 2013, 11:51 am

I actually didn't know about a lot of these rules, so thanks for the post. Although, I cannot say that I agree with keeping a child in a booster up to age 8!
By the way, when my oldest was a tiny new born we had a very old car, with a brand new graco car seat. We were going to the dr for her first checkup, and the seat turned over with her inside! Bh she wasnt hurt! It was buckled in properly, but there was no Latch system in that old car.
So if you have an old car, please be aware that this can happen.

bamamama

Sun, Jan 13 2013, 1:18 pm

studying_torah wrote:

1. Where I live it's the law to keep kids in a booster until they meet the height requirements. It doesn't matterwhat age they are.

2. The situation you describe has nothing to do with the car being old. The car seat was installed incorrectly. Period. I also don't have LATCH in my van but my seats are correctlyinstalled so in 6 years of using car seats, I have never had the problem you describe.

Hashem_Yaazor

Sun, Jan 13 2013, 2:37 pm

Just FTR, my first was in a Graco car seat, sans LATCH, in a 1996 Dodge. My second too. Their car seats were quite secure.

Perhaps you needed a locking clip and the seat belt stretched? So when you installed it, it seemed tight, but it loosened up due to the car's movements?