Just interested in what you would do if you were me?

AmieRubyJonah

New member
As you may know I am in australia where out seats are crap and our laws are lax.

There are no RF seats beyond 12kg (26lb) or 5 point harnesses beyond 18kg (40lb)

My son hit 12kg at 12mths and my nearly 6yo is over 18kg, and so far has proven to be unable to sit in a booster correctly, even on short trips. Booster training in my mums car has so fat been unsuccesful, though he had no choice but to use one.

I decided to import 2 radians, so my (then 12mo, now 14mo) could RF and my (then 5yo, now nearly 6 and still not booster ready) could be harnessed).

While I'm comfortable that my decision is in their best interests safety wise, I am concerned about the ramifications should the worst happen. $500 on the spot fine and loss of demerit points if pulled over, if in an accident all insurances void, and should injury or death occur while in their radians, criminal negligence charges could be laid.

So what would you do if you were me, turn a 12mo FF ad a 5yo in a booster when not booster ready, or import and possibly risk the above?

FWIW, whatever the replies won't change my mind, as I'm 100% confident my children are the safest they can possibly be, which is paramount.
 
ADS

Morganthe

New member
I am in australia where our seats are crap and our laws are lax.

And that is why I'd continue to rf or seat my child in a Radian in your country. If the laws are lax, why would they try to enforce a non-existent law to fine you?

I know about the possibility, but so far, I haven't heard from an actual policyholder of any insurance company who didn't cover occupants because of a non-legal to that country -- carseat. :shrug-shoulders:

I did the same and still have no guilt about it. I purchased and used a Maxi-Cosi Harnessed seat in Germany when my dd was 18 months old. Yes it was FF'd, but that's another issue. But when I moved almost 2 years later to the States, I continued to use it in Texas where (GASP) it was considered an illegal seat. :rolleyes:
Never mind that for my dd was totally legal to use an adult seatbelt. At the time, the mandatory useage of a carseat was 36" OR 5 years old. Umm, she was 36" AT 24 months old. :rolleyes:

Once I was stopped for speeding by a State Trooper. He barely even glanced at her car seat. I figured my insurance company covered us when we were in Germany, why would they even begin to care now that we were in Texas? :shrug-shoulders:

So yeah, this opinion is from a 'maverick' :p. But I'd have no difficulty using an American HWH seat in Australia in your instance. Actually, I thought the way the laws were set up that international seats ARE legal. :scratcheshead:
 

AmieRubyJonah

New member
Thanks for the reply. I am actually also quite confident no police officer would notice my illegal seats (as I know a few, who are complete dickheads who let their 3yos sit in the front seat without any restraints at all) but it's more of the "what if?" iykwim?

I believe you can either get an exemption to illegal seats if you a) have a special needs child who requires a HWH seat, accompanying letters from paeds etc or b) buy 4+ seats (costly!!) and get them tested to aus standards. Otherwise they are most definitely illegal.
 

StPaulMom

Active member
What a conundrum! But I'm confused. If the laws are so lax about car seat safety, then would anyone actually go after you for using seats that are not "approved"? And if they dont care enough about what they already approve, how likely is it that they'd prosecute you to the full extent for taking extra safety measures?

Personally, I would risk using unapproved seats to keep my kids safer.
 

Melanie

New member
If it were me, I'd use the "illegal" seats. I'd rather deal with the possibility of legal issues than have something happen to my kids and blame myself for not keeping them as safe as I could have.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
I'd use the illegal seats. Money is replaceable. If you get a ticket, you probably won't even remember a few years from now. But kids are not replaceable. And if something happens to them you'll never forget.
 

tiggercat

New member
I would import appropriate seats in the instance that you describe. Well, definitely for the 14m old. The older child, it would probably depend how close to booster ready she is / in what way she was unready.
I did import a Husky (Regent predecessor) for my eldest rather than put him in a booster at 2 yrs old and >40lbs, when CDN seats had a max harness limit of 48lbs. I would rather get in trouble after the fact with a live kid (or know that I did everything I could to keep them safe) than risk injury or death due to lack of appropriate options.
I wouldn't import a seat now, since there are plenty of appropriate options for my kids in CDN seats.
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
I would use the illegal seats that I had & be happy that my children were safe. There is no way I would put a non-booster ready child in a booster if I had other options, nor turn a 12-14 month old child FF if I had other options. If you did not have the funds to import the seats, then you would have no options. However it looks like you already have the seats, so I say to use them. :twocents:
 

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