Borderline for Britax Roundabout and confused about IL Laws

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dsiebert

Guest
Borderline for Britax Roundabout and confused about IL Laws

My nearly 3 year old daughter weighs 37 lbs (over 40 with winter clothing) and is 39 inches tall. The straps on her Britax Roundabout were well below her shoulders and the strap slack was minimal while getting her into the seat because she's so tall. Even though the Britax is supposedly rated to 40'' ( I can't imagine how), we made the switch her to a booster seat... the Britax Star Riser and Comfy Booster. She seems mature enough to stay in position (doesn't lean or slouch). However, I was just told yesterday that Illinois law (where we live) says that she must be in a "child restraint" until the age of 4. I don't know what a child restraint technically refers to. Does this mean an actual carseat? I suppose we could get one of the larger specialty convertible carseats that goes to 60+ lbs, but this seems like overkill and would also prevent us from positioning at least one of our children in the middle position. (We also have a 3 month old in an infant carrier.) I'm completely confused about what's legal, but more importantly about what's safest for our daughter.
 
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Caviller

Guest
Illinois Law-

Your booster does count as an acceptable child restraint under current Illinois law.

Of course, the laws of physics are a little different, and we do recommend a 5-point harness up to at least 40 pounds if possible. Your daughter is probably close enough to 40 pounds to be safe in her booster if it fits properly. Also remember that a belt positioning booster requires a lap AND shoulder belt, so the middle position in some vehicles may not work with a booster.

I'd definitely recommend a visit to a nearby technician to get more information. Please visit the "Free Carseat Inspection" link under the top banner. You can locate someone to do a free checkup near you, and get some more information on current Illinois law.

Darren
 
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UlrikeDG

Guest
One thing you said that concerns me...

You mentioned your daughter's weight "with winter clothing" in conjunction with there not being enough slack in the straps. You need to be very careful about winter clothing & carseats. Bulky coats can compress in a crash, creating a lot more slack in the straps than you thought was there. The resulting slack could allow her to be ejected from the seat! I know you've already switched her to a booster, but I want you to know that for future reference. There are warm coats that are much less bulky. The Lands End Squall Parka, for example, is polar fleece based and very warm. Some families use a warm jacket under a fluffy down coat and take the down coat off in the car. You can also put the coat on backward after the straps have been fastened and tightened. Straps should be "snug as a hug." This means you should be able to fit one finger between the child and the straps at her collar bone.

Also, you said you couldn't believe the height limit on the Roundabout was 40". My son is 4.5 years, 43.25" tall and weighs 38 lb. He has room to grow in the Roundabout! It really has more to do with overall build (long legs vs long torso) than overall height.

Oh, and that reminds me, the cover on the Roundabout is very plush and often gets pulled down from where the slots actually are. When my son was 2.5, I thought he was outgrowing the seat! It turned out his shoulders were actually just *barely* above the middle slots. The cover had been pulled down to mask the actual location. Although many children do outgrow the seat before they weigh 40 lb, the fact is, it is one of the taller convertible seats out there!
 
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dsiebert

Guest
Thanks so much!

Thanks so much to both of you for your comments. I haven't yet checked the Roundabout strap position relative to the cover, but will do so asap.

Thanks also for the info on winter clothing. The slack issue has been relevant even with summer clothing on. Perhaps, as you suggested, her torso length is the issue. Her ears are also above the top of the carseat, which I've read is also an idication that the seat is too small. The winter clothing was mentioned because the car-seat guru at our local fire department said that we must always consider her total weight with clothing on relative to the specs on the seat. In any case, however, we have put her in her seat previously with a bulky coat on and will be mindful about doing so in the future!

Thanks so much!!
 

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