Question Seatbelt Fit with LBB in 2011 Tuscon

vermontmoms · Jun 18, 2012

My boys usually ride in a HBB (SK Monterey) in our 2011 Tuscon. On Sat we needed to fit three almost 9yr old boys in the car so we put 3 LBB Montereys in the back seat.

All boys fit and were comfy but when I looked at the belt fit, the shoulder belt was a finger to two finger widths in front of the collarbone on the two outboard kids. I didn't think this was ok so mine are back in HBBs.

Does the shoulder/collarbone have to touch the seatbelt? If yes, then our boys will be in a HBB in this car for at least another year. The belt comes out of the side of the car by the door on this car which causes a big gap from the seat back. A kid would need to be pretty bulky to fill this space. Would the harmony literider LBB be a better LBB option since it has the seatbelt guide strap?

Thanks for your help!
Jen

vermontmoms · Jun 19, 2012

Oh...and the seats of the tuscon are fixed and not adjustable so the gap cannot be fixed by moving the seat back.

Kat_Momof3 · Jun 19, 2012

I don't know if it has to, but I prefer it to... just makes me feel safer

carseatcoach · Jun 19, 2012

I think a booster with a belt guide is definitely worth a try.

joolsplus3 · Jun 19, 2012

I'm pretty sure I remember wondering this back in the olden days, and coming to the conclusion the belt has to touch the chest, the shoulder isn't really a worry. Are there no belt guides on the Montereys? (I had a mom at BRU with a neck-rub issue and I told her to go home and search for it, but I wasn't sure if it even came with one

)

vermontmoms · Jun 20, 2012

joolsplus3 said:
I'm pretty sure I remember wondering this back in the olden days, and coming to the conclusion the belt has to touch the chest, the shoulder isn't really a worry. Are there no belt guides on the Montereys? (I had a mom at BRU with a neck-rub issue and I told her to go home and search for it, but I wasn't sure if it even came with one )

There are no belt guide straps on our montereys when using just the lbb. That is why I thought the literider would be a better lbb option. We mostly use the monterey in hbb mode which has belt guides and works great in this car. Howeve it would be nice to be able to transport three kiddos in this car for short outings in lbb mode. I am thinking we will need 2 new lbb b/c without a belt guide the seatbelt is so far out it only touches the child's sternum and then the gap starts and widens as you get to shoulder. To me the shoulder strap offers minimal protection in lbb mode b/c of the gap btwn it and the child.

bubbaray · Jun 20, 2012

I am using the Monterey as a LBB in my vehicle due to the headrest issue. It also does not touch DD1s shoulder but does touch her chest. It is not ideal, but the lower belt fit is awesome so I'm leaving it.

ETA Jools, there is no belt guide strap for the Monterey in LBB mode.

vermontmoms · Jun 20, 2012

bubbaray said:
I am using the Monterey as a LBB in my vehicle due to the headrest issue. It also does not touch DD1s shoulder but does touch her chest. It is not ideal, but the lower belt fit is awesome so I'm leaving it.

ETA Jools, there is no belt guide strap for the Monterey in LBB mode.

I agree the lower belt fit is great. But I am concerned if we were hit from the side the child would be ejected or seriously hurt b/c the shoulder belt is hardly touching the child. Also in a forward collision the child would experience much more forward head excursion b/c the belt is not tight against them.

These are my concerns about using it in lbb mode. Maybe it doesn't matter as much as I think it would. But it sure looks unsafe. I will post a pic when I can and show how much space is btwn the belt and the kiddo.

Would the lbb with the shoulder guide strap help reduce the gap? Or would it still be an issue b/c of the seatbelt position in the car?

Thanks for everyone's help...I am trying to get use to my boys reduction of car seat but it just seems like they are just so unprotected with each step we take toward seatbelt only. I know at 9, they have made it longer than most in a hbb but I still worry.

Question Seatbelt Fit with LBB in 2011 Tuscon

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