Surely someone has come up with a solution for this...

ThreeBeans

New member
DS tried to strangle himself in DH's car. :rolleyes:

DH drives a 2000 Dodge Stratus. The belts lock at the plate, not at the shoulder. DH said while he was driving yesterday, he heard a choking noise, looked back, and DS had pulled the shoulder belt out of the wall and wrapped it around his neck and was strangling :eek:

How the hell do we keep him from doing that? He's forward facing, and the crs is obviously seatbelt installed.
 
ADS

Suzibeck

Active member
How scary! Hopefully, at 2.5, he is old enough to understand "Don't touch it!" but what about kids who don't understand? Would you be able to put something in front of the seatbelt so he can't reach it? Most things would interfere with installatioin I suppose... Hmmmm, I don't know. I hope someone has some good thoughts on this.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Is the belt being used?

I would consider putting a locking clip on it, and the using the locking clip to attach it someplace out of his reach.

My son nearly strangled to death in a cord blind several years ago - I would be terrified if one of my kids was doing that with a seat belt! We don't mess with strangulation hazards around here!
 
:eek: How scary!!! I'm glad he's ok!

I hope someone has a logistic suggestion or two for you-- unfortunately, I haven't a clue as to what would be safe for you to do with the seatbelt.

My best advice is to watch him carefully, and pull over EVERY TIME he messes with it to give a consistent consequence. Maybe he can hold a special (soft) toy as long as he is leaving it alone, but if he tries to touch the seatbelt the toy gets taken away? Usually a sound scolding has been enough for my kiddos in the past when they've gone through the messing-with-the-chest-clip stage.
 

ThreeBeans

New member
Is the belt being used?

I would consider putting a locking clip on it, and the using the locking clip to attach it someplace out of his reach.

My son nearly strangled to death in a cord blind several years ago - I would be terrified if one of my kids was doing that with a seat belt! We don't mess with strangulation hazards around here!

Yes, it's being used...it's the belt that his seat is installed with, the little Houdini. He IS old enough to understand "no, don't touch that". He's nearly three. Unfortunately, he has a knack for doing exactly what he isn't supposed to be doing.

It's obviously a discipline issue, but my fear is he'll get him around himself when we can't pull over :(
 

didymama

New member
i know this sounds weird and might not be the best solution, but can you duct tape the belt to something to keep it out of reach. just a thought. i would freak if this happened!
 

Holly

New member
Can you tuck the seatbelt behind the seat?
I've heard before that seatbelts are a strangulation hazard to kids who's seats are installed with latch. I've heard it's a good idea to buckle the seatbelt behind the car seat, so the kid can't play with it. I know yours isn't installed with latch, but maybe you could still get the shoulder part to go behind the seat?
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
1) A mirror like this will provide better visibility so you can tell if he is starting to mess with the belt. I had one similar until we left it in the Pilot when we traded it in.

2) You don't want to do anything to change the way the seatbelt performs, but depending on how it lies, maybe you could cover it with a towel? That way he can't see it (out of sight, out of mind), and maybe it will be harder for him to catch hold of it with his hand or his foot if he does try to do it again.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
It's obviously a discipline issue, but my fear is he'll get him around himself when we can't pull over :(

I think you're right to be worried - if he managed to crush his windpipe, he'd still be in serious trouble even if you got to him quickly. I like Ulrike's idea to try tucking a towel over it.
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
How scary that must have been for your dh.

My youngest started playing with the seatbelt around 3yrs old. Her seat is installed with LATCH. I just buckled the seatbelt and then installed her Marathon over the top of the seatbelt then locked the retractor. This way she can't get the seatbelt.

Does your dh have LATCH in this vehicle? Also what csr are you using in this vehicle?
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
DS tried to strangle himself in DH's car. :rolleyes:

DH drives a 2000 Dodge Stratus. The belts lock at the plate, not at the shoulder. DH said while he was driving yesterday, he heard a choking noise, looked back, and DS had pulled the shoulder belt out of the wall and wrapped it around his neck and was strangling :eek:

How the hell do we keep him from doing that? He's forward facing, and the crs is obviously seatbelt installed.

If your center seat is a lap only belt, you could move him there.

I feel for you. My ds did the same thing at 5 yrs in a booster. Only, he tripped the locking retractor in the process. It was a frantic struggle to get him out fast enough. If I had been alone I would have had to cut the belt.

Kimberly
 

singingpond

New member
DS tried to strangle himself in DH's car. :rolleyes:

DH drives a 2000 Dodge Stratus. The belts lock at the plate, not at the shoulder. DH said while he was driving yesterday, he heard a choking noise, looked back, and DS had pulled the shoulder belt out of the wall and wrapped it around his neck and was strangling :eek:

How the hell do we keep him from doing that? He's forward facing, and the crs is obviously seatbelt installed.

I have just been wondering about the same kind of thing. I just shuffled carseats about a week ago, as DD moved out of the infant seat into a convertible. In the process, DS#2 (33 months) got moved outboard in both vehicles. In our 1990 car, the belts don't lock at all, so his MA is installed using the lockoff, and the shoulder belt portion is loose. He is still RF, and can reach the loose shoulder belt, and likes to pull it out and play with it. So far no scary choking incidents, but the hazard may be there -- I'll have to check whether there is enough slack in the belt for that to happen.

I had thought of putting a stitch or two of thread through the belt to hold it lightly at the belt guide up near the ceiling. However, on second thought I have some qualms about this, as I am not 100% sure this wouldn't interfere with function of the belt in a crash. I'm sure the stitching would rip easily, and wouldn't damage the belt, and wouldn't fly around to injure anyone the way a locking clip could. But, maybe it would slow down the belt travel just enough to interfere with quick locking somehow? I plan to look further into how the belts are activated in our vehicle -- if it is done with an accelerometer somewhere in the vehicle near the belt retractor, then the stitching idea is probably OK; if it is done by the speed that the retractor mechanism itself spins as the belt tries to deploy, then I'm reluctant to do anything that interferes with belt travel, since accident forces are so unintuitive. I would definitely not put loose shoulder belt behind a FF seat when the seat is installed with the seatbelt (as in your situation), since that puts the belt in the wrong position to work properly in an accident.

Maybe this would be an application for a heavy duty locking clip (if you can't find another solution)? My understanding is that the heavy duty clips are actually made to withstand accident forces, and then one could perhaps safely tuck the unused shoulder belt away somewhere? Just a thought; hopefully an experienced tech can comment....

I had been planning to get a mirror anyway with my son, for other reasons; this is sort of the last straw, and I will definitely be getting a lightweight mirror as soon as I can find one.

I also have some concern that if DS keeps playing with the shoulder belt, he will follow it down to the lockoff, and start fiddling with that, and possibly open it. This child is fascinated with mechanical stuff and motor tasks in general; if he can feel the lockoff, he will sure try to operate it. I'll have to see if his hands can reach down that far.

Katrin
 

beeman

Active member
Well, judging by your statement about it locking at the plate, not at the shoulder, your using your lap portion for install, and the shoulder belt is unneeded. I would try to find some way to fully retract the shoulder belt, and have it tied at the bottom, leaving the portion available to your ds taught. because the shoulder belt is not used in the install, I don't see how this could affect the install of the seat.
 

SPJ&E

New member
Well, judging by your statement about it locking at the plate, not at the shoulder, your using your lap portion for install, and the shoulder belt is unneeded. I would try to find some way to fully retract the shoulder belt, and have it tied at the bottom, leaving the portion available to your ds taught. because the shoulder belt is not used in the install, I don't see how this could affect the install of the seat.

In a crash, the locking mechanism on the latchplate will probably break or bend (like a llocking clip would). The shoulder belt with kick in and lock in a crash...the locking latchplate is just there to keep it tight until then. So it is very important that nothing interfere with any part of the seatbelt.

That being said, I also like the idea of slipping a towel over it so he can't feel it easily.
 

daycaremom2002

Active member
Could you take a small strip of velcro (just the hook portion) and put it over the seatbelt on the back of the vehicle seat? Not attatched to the seatbelt, but just across it? If it is just an inch wide, and maybe 5 inches long, would this be acceptable? I would think that because of the angle, it wouldn't be able to be pulled by the child easily, but a crash would easily pull it off.

I'm not a tech, but maybe one of our wonderful techs here could answer?

edited to add: I guess this won't work if you don't have cloth seats...:eek:
 
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safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Maybe this would be an application for a heavy duty locking clip


Katrin

This is an excellent idea actually. A HDLC can be used any where on the belt, and is made to withstand crash forces. I've used HDLC's to shorten the female end of the webbing in vans, and in cases where there is no possiblility of putting a locking clip within 1 inch of the latch plate, but I never would have thought of it for this. You get the genius award for the day Katrin!

Kimberly
 

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