[Diny]

I wonder if anybody can help me. I've just spoken to my sis in the UK and she tells me that there's a new ruling out about children needing booster seats in cars.

She thinks that the new regulations say that a child up to the age of 12 (or up to a certain height) must have a booster seat.

We're going home for Christmas, my kids are 9 and 10. Can anybody throw any light onto this for me, any info would be much appreciated. By all accounts there's heavy fines involved.

Diny

[K&CS]

Diny. Your kids should be fine. I think it's up to 5 feet or something like that (for a child - obviously an adult under 5 feet doesn't have to have one). They were talking about this before we left the UK and I'm pretty sure that my 8 year old would have been fine. Unless your boys are particularly tiny, I think you'll be ok. I'm sure some of my friends in the UK will know anyway - I'll find out and let you know.

[Diny]

Thanks - that would be great. I think Fergie will be fine as he's big for his age, but Henry is a tad on the small side so may have to look into something for him.

Diny

[KerryS]

Hey Diny

I was curious about this as I am going back to the Uk next year with my brother and his family who live in Oz. Their eldest will be 8 when we go back, but isn't very tall, so I just did a quick search on good old Google.

There is loads of info on this website:
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm

Hope this helps.

[Diny]

Thanks Kerry - heaps of info there. Good on you.

Diny

[marcia]

I think this really is a great idea - just a bit more expense to pay out - but for your your childrens safety its a pittance!!

Mika is about 0.5 inch under but I'm not going to bother with a seat - I'm not a bad mother but can't see the point for the few months it will take for him to grow that bit.

I was listening to the radio last night in the car, and they were saying how hard it's going to be to police this - how can a passing police car tell if a child is on a booster seat or not. How do you go on in a taxi??????

[Lupin]

When we were kids we all just jumbled in the back without seatbelts and that was then considered fine. The laws changed and so have public perception. I think more important than "catching" peeps who fall foul of this new law is a gradual changing culture toward recognising that we all need to wear seatbelts and children need special arrangments to ensure that the seat belt will actually be a help in the event of. My nearly 9 year old is on a backed booster, but she's pretty small and it has really improved the placement of the seatbelt.

I still see cars chock full of kids clambering about driving about round here and recently saw a mum driving with her baby and toddler on her lap :uhoh

[Diny]

When we were kids we all just jumbled in the back without seatbelts and that was then considered fine.


When we were kids we all piled in the back too ... and we would arrange it like 'one sit forward one sit back' ... that way we allfitted in !!!!

How times change.

[StevieD]

Diny even our Lou is tall enough not to wear one. She wasnt at the beginning of the summer hols, but she is now!!

As said about the police doing something about it, hey they drive around without seat belts adults and kids here and the police dont do anything, so how are they going to do this???

But after being in the car accident last year and ok i still suffer from whiplash, but lou who was in the middle seat at the time would of gone right thru the windscreen without her seat belt on, her face touched the back of the seats in front before she was thrown backwards, so just goes to show you!!!

Jan

[smitjo]

I don't think the point of changing the regulations is to catch people out who aren't sticking to the law but more an opportunity to protect children even further when involved in a road collision. I think if you choose not to adhere to these regulations and are involved in a collision in which your child could have been protected (but wasn't), then it will have a dramatic effect on you as a parent. It certainly isn't about whether these regs can be policed or not - it all comes down to the responsibility of every individual to protect there child where possible.

Could you guess that I work in road safety????? :laugh

[joannebutty]

From what I can gather a child has to be in a car/booster seat if they are under 11yrs of age or under 5ft 4in. My daughter who is 8yrs is over 5ft 4in so she doesn't have to use one. I think it is because of the way the seat belt falls across the body and the fact that it would fall higher across a young childs chest/neck etc, therefore they need to be higher up in their seat.

Joanne

[Hannah]

Read something in Wilco's today (UK shop selling child car seats) that says the law relates to children who are 140cm and below (that's about 4 1/2 feet). I wasn't even aware of this rule until i saw it on a poster in the shop - don't watch much TV or read papers so this sort of stuff passes me by!
Hope that helps.
Hannah

[Hannah]

In fact i think 140cm is about 4ft 9 inches...that's the height of the little cardboard cut out man in play areas such as Wacky Warehouse....you know, the one who says "if you are taller than me you can't play here". My tall son hates that little man!!!!

[spudulike]

Hi Diny,

Found this article on msn news today;

Mums 'unaware'of car seat law

Only two thirds of mothers are aware of new child car seat laws which come into effect next Monday, according to a survey.

Drivers will have to make sure all youngsters under 12 or shorter than 135 centimetres use the right restraints in vehicles.

Breaking the new law will lead to a £30 on-the-spot fine for the driver or a maximum fine of £500 if convicted in court.

The new measures are designed to cut the annual toll of more than 7,000 child deaths and injuries in car accidents.

If children sit higher in a vehicle they stand a better chance of avoiding a compression injury to internal organs or spine in a smash.

Exceptions to the new laws are when children travel in the rear seats of taxis or during short emergency journeys - which does not cover school runs.

There is also an exception for a third child travelling in the rear when the vehicle only has room for two booster seats.

Under the law the correct type of child seat, booster seat or booster cushion for an individual child's size must be used. The rules apply in cars, vans and goods vehicles.


Louise

[Diny]

Thanks for all the help guys. I know that my eldest will be OK but I'll have to check Henny's height as I think he may be 'borderline'.

Once again - thanks.

Diny

[nippa&pippa]

After had accident few months ago, it was other person's fault, i wouldn't risk not using car seat. I am so grateful that my both kids escaped injuries because they were in car seat in the first place whereas i did received injuries. Think about your children rather than saving money.

[jubjub]

Article on BBC news about this too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4781511.stm

[gil]

On a light note, one of Franca's friends came to call yesterday and proudly announced that she had a new booster seat ready for the new laws. We all aaahed and said how brill, and Steve asked her how tall you have to be to not have a booster seat....and she said, completely seriously "350 feet". :laugh:laugh

Well she is only 7!

Gil

[Cardiff Irons]

On a light note, one of Franca's friends came to call yesterday and proudly announced that she had a new booster seat ready for the new laws. We all aaahed and said how brill, and Steve asked her how tall you have to be to not have a booster seat....and she said, completely seriously "350 feet". :laugh:laugh

Well she is only 7!

Gil7 feet? :confused: