Why do boosters expire??

I totally understand the wear/tear issues on installed car seats, especially at the harness points and the installation points. Can someone explain why a booster would expire when it has none of those stresses on it's parts?

Thanks!
Brooke

They're still susceptible (sp?) to deterioration of plastic. Plastic degrades, weakens, breaks down..plain and simple. All of it.
Therefore, weakened seat material means compromised safety.

But can you explain to me how? Especially for a backless booster that is used to simple lift the child to a proper position. Can anyone give and example of how a booster (HBB or backless) could fail because it is past expiration?

Thanks!

Brooke

fwiw, in a crash boosters DO absorb some crash forces, so an expired seat can shatter in a crash.

As a pre-crash positioner, it is hard to imagine how a booster would fail such that there could be a safety hazard. Unlike a harnessed seat that might have hidden stress cracks or harness damage, you'd think any problems with a booster would be visible.

Best to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations, of course...

FWIW, that boosters DO absorb crash forces is straight from Graco CS.

I was told also that boosters help to absorb the crash forces at the hips specifically ... which would make sense since the hip bones are "soft" until puberty

CPSDarren said:

As a pre-crash positioner, it is hard to imagine how a booster would fail such that there could be a safety hazard. Unlike a harnessed seat that might have hidden stress cracks or harness damage, you'd think any problems with a booster would be visible.

Best to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations, of course...

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That is what makes the most sense to me, especially for a backless booster that is essentially just a 'step.' I can easily explain why harnessed seats expire, but am at a loss to adequately explain why boosters expire. I'd rather a parent use an expired booster than none at all, which is frequently the choice that is made.

Thanks for the info!

Brooke

Why do backless boosters expire?
Because they cost fifteen bucks.

No, I know that's not an answer. But honestly... someone who won't part with such a small amount of money and instead prefers to use the old booster from when grandma was in college and has since then been the preferred hang out for the family cat... I don't have much emotional energy for.

They're CHEAP! Get a new one already!

Sorry I don't have anything helpful to add. I just had this conversation a few days ago with an acquaintance who, instead of buying a $12 cosco backless booster, prefers to use the one that has NO cover and has a few melted spots on it from when her husband left it on the stove (???)

I don't know why boosters expire. But even HBB are cheap enough. I figure that if the company that puts thousands of dollars into creating, testing, and fine tuning a device that is intended to SAVE MY CHILD'S LIFE, I am not gonna argue with them on when/why they tell me to replace it. If Britax decided that their seats were only good for three years, I'd chuck mine after three years and get new ones and be glad that they kept my child safe for three years.

But boosters DO have to absorb some forces. HBB more than LBB of course. But what if, upon impact, the arms on a LBB cracked and the belt rode up onto the child's abdomen? Or in a side impact the back of a booster cracked and, with the seatbelt still attached and pulled over the child, shot sideways?

Boosters expire because the manufacturers tell us they do. They put the money, time, and research into deciding this. We trust everything else they tell us (within reason), we should trust that as well.

Splash said:

But honestly... someone who won't part with such a small amount of money and instead prefers to use the old booster from when grandma was in college and has since then been the preferred hang out for the family cat... I don't have much emotional energy for.

They're CHEAP! Get a new one already!

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Unfortunately, I do know people that cannot afford the $15.00. It is a choice of food or a new booster for them. I'd rather then use a $7 or 8 year old booster rather than nothing, personally.

Then you give them the phone number for your local technician, who can steer them to low-income programs where they can obtain a booster.

My local tech had no such info when I called her yesterday when I saw a 1 year old in a FP T-shield and her 2 year old sister in a lap belt both in the front of a pickup sorry, OT, just breaks my heart

skaterbabscpst said:

Then you give them the phone number for your local technician, who can steer them to low-income programs where they can obtain a booster.

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Want to add to this - a LOT of families who have to choose between buying groceries, or safety devices (and will, obviously, choose food for the family), are going to be making well above any cut-off limit for "low income" programs of any sort.

Kashi said:

Want to add to this - a LOT of families who have to choose between buying groceries, or safety devices (and will, obviously, choose food for the family), are going to be making well above any cut-off limit for "low income" programs of any sort.

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Not around here they wouldn't. Our program is anyone who is WIC eligibile, and almost everyone who is anywhere near low income is WIC eligible. Heck, I drive 2 new cars and own a house and WE are WIC eligible (we don't get it, but we could if we wanted to).

And I have one of those friends who is truly paycheck to paycheck. Not one who just doesn't want to fork over the money for a car seat. I know WAY too many people who say they "can't afford" a car seat, but they have cell phones and cable TV and go out to dinner regularly.
One of my very good friends, whom I have given plenty of car seats, recently needed two new ones. I wasn't in the position to buy them for her at the time. She qualifies to get one free per child but she needed higher weight harnesses because her 2 year old was already 39 pounds and her 3 year old was 43. She had been using the CarGo over it's weight limits and needed to get new seats. Here, they give you a convertible or a booster, no high weight harnesses. So she saved for MONTHS to buy her kids new seats. Someone who, after paying all the bills (subsidized rent, health and vehicle insurance, one car payment, gas, subsidized day care for three kids, food after the food stamps and WIC don't cover it, basic phone at $8 a month, and electricity. No cell phones. No cable. No extras) has about $50 left over at the end of the month IF nothing goes wrong. And she saved the money to buy both girls an Apex. She knew the time was coming and she started saving a few months before she needed it. Anyone can do that. I doubt that more than 1% of the US population (can't speak for Canada as I don't live there) can't put aside 5 or even 10 dollars a month. Start doing it from the time you find out you're pregnant and by the time the kid is born, you have enough for a scenera. But there are tons of people who swear that they can't afford car seats for their kids. It's a priortiy situation. Yes I am sure that there are people who cannot produce the $50 RIGHT NOW to buy a car seat. But over the course of a few months, most people can come up with that money.
There are SOME people out there who cannot afford new seats. But they are few and far between, and most of them will qualify for free seats. If they really and truly don't have the $40 left over at the end of the month after paying all necessary bills, or can't wait a few months to save for it, then there will be a program that will give them free seats.

To add my 2 cents' worth...

I basically agree with the previous poster. But car seats in Canada for some mysterious reason are really expensive. 90$ for a Scenera at Wal-Mart (the canadian $ is now worth about 90 cents US). 120$ for a Graco Turbo Booster.

Expensive.

I also need to add that I have a handful of local police/fire departments that I can call for a low-income seat.

If your local techs do not, call another tech.

Part of our job is knowing where a parent can get a seat if they can't afford one. Sometimes that means cultivating resources and contacts with local agencies.

Here, there are NO free seat checks and the techs I've contacted know of no programs for free/reduced price seats of any sort. It is simply not an option here, unfortunately. Perhaps one day it will be.