Boosters for field trip (PANIC!)

harnessed4ever

New member
Okay, so here's my huge dilema. The summer camp my 11 year old dds are going to is taking a field trip into washington. The camp is put on by the school so everything is regulation, obviously because it has to. However there's one huge problem that their overlooking: WASHINGTON HAS BOOSTER LAWS!!! %75 of these kids are under 4'9" and none of them are over 12, and yet our school is planning to take them into the state without a single carseat, many of the kids in lap belts only, and using the front seat (violating a ton of Washington state laws!!!) I'm diving a car and got the measurements for the kids I have and got the harnessable ones in my spare huskies and have equiped all the other seats with 4 point harnesses and HBBs, this ensures that my kids are safe, but what about everyone else! All 10 other vehicles, including the school vans, have nothing at all. What can I do???? Does anyone have some suggestions? If as few as one of our cars get pulled over, the school is going to get sued through the roof, and we're already out of funding as it is! Please help me figure out a way to keep the kids safe and the lay obeyed
 
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scatterbunny

New member
Sienna, I thought Lyra was 13 and Helena was 3? That's all we ever talked about, and all that's listed in your profile. :confused:

As for the original question, I'd print out WA state law and give it to the school. Nothing much more you can do, IMO, other than ensure the kids in your vehicle are safe, as you're doing.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
I agree. If the school has the information and chooses not to enforce it in their vehicles, there's not a whole lot else you can do.
 

harnessed4ever

New member
I feel so stupid for not putting them in my profile. I have a pair of 11 yo twins named Persephone and Athena. I must have made my profile way late at night and made a serious stupid. I'll try giving paperwork but you know how schools are. I guess I can only hope for the best.
 

scatterbunny

New member
Only one of your 11yo twins is going on the field trip, then? (In your original post you were only referring to one 11yo daughter)
 

harnessed4ever

New member
That's another typo ARRRRRGG!!!! I have twins and they're both going. It's been so long sice you've emailed me. What have you been up to during our weeks and weeks of silence
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I am confused.

However, I agree that it would be best to print out the law. Is this Washington state or Washington, D.C.?
 

o_mom

New member
Many carseat laws only apply to drivers who live in the state. You typically follow the laws of your home state when travelling to or through another state. I know ours is that way and I would be surprised if WA state wasn't that way also - it's not like they sell boosters at the border. Additionally, lap belt only seating positions are typically exempt from the law as are school busses.

Doesn't help with the safety, but they are probably within the law.
 

harnessed4ever

New member
This is WA state. I'll try to persuade them with paperwork but schools in our district tend to make decisions that make things easy rather than right.
 

Morganthe

New member
Personally, I've learned that instead of panicking, remaining calm is much more useful. :thumbsup:

Print out the law, then visit to the principal or--whoever is in charge of this camp -- in person to confirm what you've learned (Rumour mill is a terrible thing) and discuss this situation.

If they're still determined to conduct a field trip without the legal safety measures, contact the PTA or the camp's parental representative after writing up a notice with the facts of what you have confirmed. They probably have an email list of concerned parents who might welcome this information.

After that, there's not much you can do.

Just curious, if your vehicle is completely installed with 4pt seatbelts, how are the Huskies or High Back Boosters safely secured in them? Huskies are not authorized by Britax for aftermarket belts, nor is any other HBB company. :confused:
Also -- if these are the same seats that you performed your simulated flying stop & go's with, the Huskies' body integrity could be extremely questionable.
 

harnessed4ever

New member
No, I recycled the used seats after finding out the guy actually had an impact with some of them. However I had enough spares to use. All the huskies in my car are anchored with standard seatbelts so no worry there.
 

Morganthe

New member
I am confused.

However, I agree that it would be best to print out the law. Is this Washington state or Washington, D.C.?

The state, of course. :cool:
Those who live in and around it are thousands of miles away from DC so never have to clarify :p ;)

Personally, I think it would be a great idea if we came up with a national program to simplify --
Washington - Washingtonian (for the State)
DC -- DC-ite (for the city)

M
who has lived in both locations & is from only 1 :whistle:
 

Ali

New member
Unfortunately, WA state law is 8 or 4'9". If they are over 8 they don't legally need to be in seats. :thumbsdown:
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Unfortunately, WA state law is 8 or 4'9". If they are over 8 they don't legally need to be in seats. :thumbsdown:

ya, that!

where are you getting 12 years old from? It says 8 when i look it up?
So, regardless of size, if the kids are all basically 11 yrs old, they don't need boosters, LEGALLY, and also, what has also been said about, when using a vehicle with only lap belts, booster use is not required, etc......
 

broken4u05

New member
One thing i am confused about is why there are 10 different cars/vans driving. When i would go on a school trip even more so a trip out of the state we would take school busses. Or a comfy buses. The greyhound types.
 

Jordynsmama

New member
Idk-if the kids are between 8-12 then i wouldnt worry about it at all. If you are abiding by the law in your vehicle and keeping your occupants safe and your kids are safe-then I think that is enough. Now if the kids were 3,4 ,5 with no seats it would be diff but it sounds like they are older. And I doubt they will get pulled over and get sued b/c kids arent in boosters. Cops barely are about babies and toddlers, let alone older kids. I dont think anyone will get sued.
I wouldnt worry about it!
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Many carseat laws only apply to drivers who live in the state. You typically follow the laws of your home state when travelling to or through another state. I know ours is that way and I would be surprised if WA state wasn't that way also - it's not like they sell boosters at the border. Additionally, lap belt only seating positions are typically exempt from the law as are school busses.

Doesn't help with the safety, but they are probably within the law.

No, you have to follow the rules of the state you are in at that time, doesn't matter where you live. That's why on road trips, if you choose not to follow best practice, you better know the laws of the states you're travelling through.
 
I agree w/ peach-- I've been pulled over when travelling out-of-state for the simple infraction of NOT having the front license plate affixed to my vehicle. It's perfectly legal in the state the vehicle is registered in, but not legal in the state I was in at the time... I just got a warning, but only because I actually *had* the 2nd plate in the vehicle with me and promised I'd bolt it on immediately. :rolleyes:

For the OP, wouldn't those 4-pt. harnesses be considered an appropriate restraint for your own passengers? Especially since they pass US standards, if not Canadian? :scratcheshead:
 

harnessed4ever

New member
12 years old is the minimum for riding in the front seat, which is why I've made sure no one is in my car. I'm not worried about my car at all, it's decked out with harnesses and restraints galore. However I think the child has to be 4' 9" AND 8 to be without a booster in WA. Like I said only about quarted of the kids in the camp fulfil this requirement
 

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