Harness slots *really* high

http://www.chop.edu/traumalink/pcps/popups/harness_arrow.html

I saw this picture several years ago and emailed them about it. They said the mother in the picture is a SafeKids instructor or something like that and the child was hers and she felt it was OK. (Personally, I think the kid should still be RF!)

So, fast forward to Saturday. I had my 2 yr old grandson (who is still RF in my car but FF, as of 22 months in parents' car). His dad came to pick him up with my grown son and didn't have a carseat. My son had his daughter's Radian in the back seat, empty. Rather than make the dad go home and get his car and come all the way back (another 30 min), or uninstall the Radian and change the straps (UGH!), I remembered the picture!

The seat was on the top slots for GD. I put the 2 yr old in the seat and he was just a bit below the second from the top slots, very similar to the picture. (I do think he is going to be long torsoed!) After getting him in good and tight, chest clip on properly, I sent them off, luckily mostly on country roads, knowing I wouldn't usually do it again in regular circumstances.

So...what do the techs think of the picture? Do you think that is a good example of proper use?

I think that it was a pic that was mainly used b/c the top slos are the only ones that are reenforced in that seat and many older models that are still used, ect.

becca011906 said:

I think that it was a pic that was mainly used b/c the top slos are the only ones that are reenforced in that seat and many older models that are still used, ect.

Click to expand...

Yup yup. That seat required the top slots to be used when forward-facing.

My instructors told us to always read the manual to find out if the particular seat we are dealing with requires the top slots to be used when forward-facing, and to advise parents that straps are fine above the shoulders, even quite a bit above, but that they didn't feel comfortable with the straps up by the ears.

However, as far as I know, there is no data suggesting it is unsafe. A snugly-adjusted five point harness should provide excellent protection even with straps very high above the shoulders (forward-facing).

Not a tech (anymore at least....for various reasons I let my cert. expire), but several years ago that was pretty much the norm. Almost all convertible seats required top slots forward facing and with most seats having 22lb rear facing limits (as that Century seat had), kids were still pretty small when they were turned so that's how the straps had to fit.

Obviously with more seats having mulitiple reinforced slots and higher rear facing limits, you shouldn't see a harness fit like that very often anymore.

Yep i have a centery seat similar to that with a few more months or so left before it expires and dd uses it in my grandmas car some times only the FF slots and only has the 22rfing limit the seat sucks, but it was before i knew of better options!