what should i do about dd riding to school with another mother?

a friend in my dd class wants to carpool and they have a sedan type car. the problem is what to put my dd in. there is one other harnessed seat drivers side and then my dd girlfriend in a hbb in the middle.i have an extra seat (i think it's a century next go seat) that expires in a couple of months that we tried using as a third in the row but i don't think it fits well and doesn't install very tight for the limited space (her usual seat is a regent in my van). we also tried my ds radian and it fit ok but the other mother wants to try and have a seat that we don't keep moving back and forth (i agree moving the seat less would probably be safer) as i had to take the century back to have her dd ride in my car but that's another story of where to put the other little girl- i think i'm goign to get an apex 65 for use in our other car, a honda and then as a backup seat when we transport other kids who need a booster or could be harnessed if they have a short enough torso).

the other mother has a sit n stroll she wanted to try but my dd is way above the harness slots ff even though it seem to fit the space.

my dd is 5 years old and 37 1/2 lbs without clothes and 39 fully dressed. she's 43" tall with a 15 1/2" torso i believe.

so i'm trying to figure out my options. i've thought about getting the fisher price safe voyage booster, i think that would fit if a radian fits) and have dd ride the two blocks to school using the booster but i'm not sure if i should do that. the booster starts at 30 lbs but i'm pretty sure the law in WA state is 40lbs and 4 years for booster mode. we've been gaining weight very slowly over the past couple of years so i don't know how long it will take us to reach 40 lbs.i think she was 33 lbs at 3 years old...

the FPSV Booster will come in handy for quick trips with other people for carpooling but should i strap a 1 lb weight to her to make it comply... just kidding of course. but i would like to know what others in this situation would do to be safest. i know other issues with carpooling will come up and i'd like to be prepared.

ts_peach said:

the booster starts at 30 lbs but i'm pretty sure the law in WA state is 40lbs and 4 years for booster mode.

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The copy of the law that I found did not address ages or weight for booster mode. It just said kids under 8 should be in a child restraint following the instructions on the child restraint.

At 5 years old and almost 40 pounds, I would personally be comfortable using a booster for the short carpool trip to and from school. And don't worry, it isn't against the law to use a booster in your case in Washington. As long as you're using a seat in accordance with the instructions (child within age/weight limits), you're complying with the law.

good to know on the seatbelt law. i knew it had changed june 1st to have kids boostered until 8 years old/80lbs or 4'9 but i thought they had to be harnessed until 40 lbs (maybe that was the old requirement?? that is superceeded by this change?) of course it's better to keep harnessed as long as possible but good to know that occational booster use is ok.

thanks!

i did some more research:

until june 1st, 2007 RCW 46.61.687 read:
(b) If the child is less than one year of age or weighs less than twenty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained in a rear-facing infant seat;

(c) If the child is more than one but less than four years of age or weighs less than forty pounds but at least twenty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained in a forward facing child safety seat restraint system;

(d) If the child is less than six but at least four years of age or weighs less than sixty pounds but at least forty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained in a child booster seat;

(e) If the child is six years of age or older or weighs more than sixty pounds, the child shall be properly restrained with the motor vehicle's safety belt properly adjusted and fastened around the child's body or an appropriately fitting booster seat; and


as of june 1, 2007 it reads:

(a) A child must be restrained in a child restraint system, if the passenger seating position equipped with a safety belt system allows sufficient space for installation, until the child is eight years old, unless the child is four feet nine inches or taller. The child restraint system must comply with standards of the United States department of transportation and must be secured in the vehicle in accordance with instructions of the vehicle manufacturer and the child restraint system manufacturer.

i think it's good that until 8 years old kids have to be retrained somehow but i can see a lot younger kids being promoted to boosters when they aren't old enough to properly sit still. it seems it also lost the language of 1 year and 20 lbs RF although almost all seats are supposed to be used RF 1 year and 20 lbs (or higher depending on seat)? so in following manufacturers directions you would be hopefully rearfacing until a year adn the 20 lbs?

Right, the new law takes out lots of the conflicting language and now makes it (basically) a proper use law. No need to spell out RF to 1 year AND 20 pounds minimum, since all seats sold now say that. And since some boosters are approved from 3yo/30 pounds, it would be acceptable for your child to use one in this instance.