Booster or not?

A

AngelaS

Guest
Booster or not?

My friend has 5 kids and a Dodge Caravan. Two children are in boosters, two in convertible seats and one in an infant seat.

The problem is---you can't buckle the booster seats if they're next to a convertible seat. It's waaay too hard to get your hand in the crack and buckle the belt.

Is it better to: take the oldest child out of her booster seat and let her ride in the back in just a lap/shoulder belt or to let her ride in the front passenger seat in her booster seat?

Thanks!
 
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C

CPSDarren

Guest
Re: Booster or not?

With multiple kids, it's often hard to determine the safest arrangement. The best way is to visit a child passenger safety technician in person. You can find one by visiting the "Free Carseat Inspection" link under the top banner.

If you list the ages and weights of the children, and the models of their carseats and boosters, we might be able to give you some recommendations.

One option may be to replace the convertible or booster with one that is narrower. For example, the Cosco Touriva convertible and Britax Starriser booster tend to be pretty narrow, as are some others.

If the oldest child is above 12, it is OK to be in the front seat with it moved all the way back. Otherwise, it may be a judgement call as to which child should be in front and whether or not an airbag needs to be disabled. Without specifics, it is difficult to say which is best.

Darren
 
A

AngelaS

Guest
more info

Okay, here's what I know---the oldest two are 7 and 6 and both in Century boosters. She also has a 3.5 yo in a newer Evenflo booster (still using the harness) and a 1yo in a Century seat. I'm not sure what kind of infant seat the baby has. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)">

They don't have a lot of extra cash for new seats. Money's tight when you have 5 kids and your dh's is a pastor....
 
C

CPSDarren

Guest
Re: more info

If narrower seats are out of the question, I would definitely recommend they make an appointment for a free inspection ( www.seatcheck.net/ ). You can find a certified technician at many local hospitals, SAFE KIDS chapters, public health, police or fire departments. Getting the *safest* arrangement for a case like this is really better done in person. Depending on the seating arrangement of their particular van, the exact models of the carseats and how their current carseats and boosters fit in each spot, it can be very tough to give good advice online.

In any case, since the oldest child is only 7, they should not be in front. Depending on how tall they are and how well the lap+shoulder belts fit, they might be ready to sit without a booster. Also see: user.mc.net/~carseat/faq.html#Q9 .

If anyone had to be placed in the front seat on a regular basis, the best candidate is probably the 3.5 year old in the harnessed combination booster. Ideally, the front seat would be moved all the way back on its track and the airbag disabled if possible. This really is a last resort if no other compromise can be found. An experienced technician should be able to safely arrange the 5 kids in back. They can also make sure everything is installed properly and that all the seats are in good condition with no recalls.

I hope that helps a bit- please ask if you have more questions!

Darren
 

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