New child car seat regulations

[artois]

A friendly constable saw me load my spare heir in the back of a car this morning and warned me about new regulations coming into force on 18 Sep 06. If it had been next week...

The regulations state you can't carry children in your car using just a seat belt if they are under 4'5'' or under 12 years. Also, children under 3 years have to use the child "restraint" appropriate for their weight.

The penalty for non-compliance is a £30 fixed penalty notice or, if it goes to court, a maximum fine of £500.

For full details look at the DFT website: Child car seats

 

[Forces_Sweetheart]

Well reminded, artois.

I've read quite a bit about parents saying they wont bother because 'my boy will refuse to use the seat'. Not sure whether there really are tons of children around who flatly refuse to do what their parents request or if it was blown out of proportion by the media. Thoughts...?

 

[the_guru]

My littleun is 12 in a fortnight. I'm making her wear a false tache till then. Funny though, it makes her look exactly like he mum...

 

[BigRed]

Seem to remember something similar when Seat belt laws came in.

"My child won't do what I tell him" just links into far to many We're off to Hell in a handbasket/state of the country threads.

Makes me think of the recent child tamer ads on TV. how did they get in that state?

Sure the majority of us will just get on with it.

 

[Horridlittleman]

It seems pretty sensible to me. It sickens me when I see kids climbing around in the back of cars! Any parent who can't get their child into a child seat is a waste of space and should take a long hard look at whether they deserve to be a parent!

 

[tripod]

Do adult dwarfs have the same restrictions

 

[JRHartley]

Any parent who can't get their child into a child seat is a waste of space and should take a long hard look at whether they deserve to be a parent!

too right...Limp wristed-lefty-tree-hugging-fondue muching don't deserve to be allowed to breed if they don't possess enough bolloxs and authority to get their little snotlings to put a belt on. I mean it's not fecking difficult ...... just threaten to duct tape the little fcukers to the outside of back window like a set of novelty Garfields if they don't put the belt on.....

 

[Forces_Sweetheart]

It seems pretty sensible to me. It sickens me when I see kids climbing around in the back of cars! Any parent who can't get their child into a child seat is a waste of space and should take a long hard look at whether they deserve to be a parent!

Exactly. If children are climbing around then it must be harder to concentrate and more likely that you will crash and send them flying through the windscreen surely?

Actually this is a pet hate of mine. A small minority of my friends seem to think it's good to never say no to their children. Consequently they have four and six year olds who never do anything they are told. They throw full-blown tantrums if they are ever challenged - screaming, stamping etc etc. The parents just smile weakly and say things like 'children will be children'. These are doctors and teachers who are not stupid but it's incredibly hard not to say anything.

I broached the topic with a friend of mine once when she mentioned how constantly exhausted she was (although that can happen with well-behaved children, too). She seemed confused about what I was saying as she saw her children as behaving perfectly normally so I left it...

 

[admag]

Do adult dwarfs have the same restrictions

larff i nearly pi55ed me self, although the question has serious merit!

a reles pair tuck the belt under their arms because it cuts into their neck!, i recently had to play taxi. A frank exchange of belt up properly cause this car aint moving coupled with a threat of using them as a running target on the 30m range seem to work!

when wil they bring in a law about dogs being belted up or behind guards, the number you see sitting on parcel shelves beggers belief!

 

[Forces_Sweetheart]

It's a good point though - will adults under 4'5" have to have these seats?

 

[maninblack]

Artois, thank you for the link to the website. i have been trying to get a straight answer from Halfords and various other places that sell car seats but their information makes it appear that all children under 12, regardless of height, must use a booster seat. this is now clearly not the case but they are in the business of selling products rather than giving correct advice.

 

[Forces_Sweetheart]

What is the average height for a 12 year old?

 

[maninblack]

I don't know, FS, but I have a 9 year old and an 11 year old who are both over the height restriction.

I just did a search on 't'internet thingy and there was an average UK height for 9 year old girls of 130 cm.

I just wondered a thought, in Bliar's Britain will Plod now be issued a tape measure, chalk and a book so that he can stand random children against a wall and chalk under the book to measure them?

I am begining to think that Bliars heroes were not Marx, Hardy and the Tolpuddle Martyrs but actually Stalin.

 

[DigitalGeek]

Britax announce Car Seat especially designed for the mother in law......

 

[Active_Edge_841]

My Daughter is 6 (Going on 16) & she has always been in some sort of child seat/booster seat.

Even if the new law didn't come into effect we would still make sure that she was in one.

There's nothing more precious in life than your children!!

 

[mistersoft]

What is the average height for a 12 year old?

1.80m+

I keep mine on the top shelf so the kids don't drink it.

 

[SelfLoadingRifle]

I just wondered a thought, in Bliar's Britain will Plod now be issued a tape measure, chalk and a book so that he can stand random children against a wall and chalk under the book to measure them?

I am begining to think that Bliars heroes were not Marx, Hardy and the Tolpuddle Martyrs but actually Stalin.

I certainly agree with you... A few points:

1) I have yet to see any figures published indicating how many child injuries per annum could have been prevented by fitting special seats. If any one out there can set me right on this, I am listening. However, I suspect that the numbers are very small.

2) It will now be an offence for anyone such as a grandparent or uncle, who hasn't had the appropriate seat(s) fitted to pick up the kids in an emergency, or as an occasional favour.

3) If past form is anything to go by, this is yet another example of this Labour Government bringing in a piece of restrictive legislation on the basis of "this seems to be a good idea" without doing the necessary research.

By the way under Labour, riding a pushbike without a bell fitted is soon to become an offence punishable by either prison or a fine up to £2500.

I want my country back

SLR

 

[yater_spoon]

its not really the numbers but the severity of the injuries. If a child below the height limit is not in a booster seat the belt will catch them round the neck or they will slip underneath the shoulder harness and cream into the back seat front windscreen. It also galls me to see children sat in front seats of cars fitted with passenger airbags which cannot be de activated. If an airbag was to deploy this has the potential to cause a severe injury/fatality to a child if they are not restrained properly.
With regard to other family members picking up kids in an emergency why cannot they purchase a booster seat just in case or the parents provide an additional one. Admittedly baby seats are expensive but booster seats can be purchased for under £20. Is this too high a price to put on a child's life?

 

[GoodIdeaAtTheTime]

Call me a pedantic pedant, but I thought we went metric a while back? 4'5"???

My kids (who are all <= 12 ) cannot comprehend what "about a foot" means, but if I say 30cm they hold their hands a foot apart and go "you mean this much?"

 

[Trevelez]

Britax announce Car Seat especially designed for the mother in law......

My 8 year old daughter saw this and now wants one. I've tried to explain but to no avail. I did get her to agree that I would get one for her mother's car and give her the handle