Help with explaining harness weight limits please!

Another community I belong to has a mom with a EB carseat. Her daughter is 45-49 pounds but she is still using the 5-point harness. She doesn't understand that her child is in danger using it this way. Are there any photos of what can happen to the seat or the harness if used past the weight limit?

Good for you for caring enough to convince her of the risks. Maybe you could show her the warnings in the manual? There's something boiler platish in every seat manual, usually in a warnings section or bolded with the universal signs for caution, do not do this, etc., along the lines of "failure to use the seat properly can result in injury or death of the child."

If warnings in the manual aren't enough, you could show her the expired Britax carseat crash test video, and suggest what happens to the crash test dummy is potentially how a seat could fail if the 5-point harness is used over the rated weight limit: http://youtube.com/watch?v=wvCRz7BRAM0 The harness rips through the plastic shell and doesn't properly hold the dummy in the seat.

Good luck!

Thanks!
I have been a carseat nut for 12 years now. I can't help myself sometimes,lol.

Have her call the manufacturer. I am pretty sure they will tell her she is voiding their liability if there was ever an accident where the child was harmed. Some people may not listen to "safety" speaches when using a seat incorrectly, but they may listen to the fact that you cannot sue the manufacturer if something goes wrong (people like to sue other people here so take that right away and people get scared).

I can't seem to change her mind.
I can't even respond at this point. I can't think of a nice way to say anything to her.
This was her last post."
I think she would be even worse in the other seats with the seat belt. ALso I know they check the weight limit past 40 lbs, they have to know people are going to push it past the limit, like with anything they recommend not past 40 lbs. Trust me that seat holds up my fat butt lol. I know it's not the safest, but I don't feel comfortable putting her in a car seat that she is a freaking rag doll if she falls asleep (which she does do often in my car). I thank you for all the info and the concern, I dont' want you to think I'm arguing, I'm just looking at it from what I see in the car, when she falls asleep and when she's riding, I don't feel she is safer in a car seat only being held in by a seat belt."
:thumbsdown:

Dawn said:

I can't seem to change her mind.
I can't even respond at this point. I can't think of a nice way to say anything to her.
This was her last post."
I think she would be even worse in the other seats with the seat belt. ALso I know they check the weight limit past 40 lbs, they have to know people are going to push it past the limit, like with anything they recommend not past 40 lbs. Trust me that seat holds up my fat butt lol. I know it's not the safest, but I don't feel comfortable putting her in a car seat that she is a freaking rag doll if she falls asleep (which she does do often in my car). I thank you for all the info and the concern, I dont' want you to think I'm arguing, I'm just looking at it from what I see in the car, when she falls asleep and when she's riding, I don't feel she is safer in a car seat only being held in by a seat belt."
:thumbsdown:

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I totally see her point about wanting her child to stay in a 5pt harness. . but the seat she has isn't appropriate for her child. I guess I'd respond with links to higher-weight seats. Emphasize that this is a win-win situation for everybody! Her DD is safe and still harnessed. What's not to love? It sounds like she's not even aware of any 5pt seats that go above 40lbs.

I'd also mention that the 40lb limit is set because the manufacturers know that every seat will pass at this limit. Sure, some seats may work just fine until 50 or 60lbs. . others might fail at 41lbs. Does she know which seat she has? Is she willing to gamble her child's life that her seat was made on a "good" manufacturing day as opposed to, say, her neighbor's EB seat?

The other thing at issue here, is that unless it's a young & heavy child, most kids who weigh 47 lbs are also long outgrown the harness of an EB 3in1. Most kids don't even get to 40lbs in the harness unless they're chunky...

Maybe she doesn't realize there are HWH seats? I understand her wanting to keep him in a 5pt harness, but perhaps what she's not understanding is that keeping him in there past the weight limit could equate to him being restrained by absolutely nothing at all in the event of a crash.

The FPSVD would probably be a good seat to suggest - or an apex depending on what kind of vehicle they drive. Apex would probably be the best bet since it has a higher weight limit (65lbs) and converts to a booster - the mom might appreciate gaining the booster part again for when the harness is outgrown - but the vehicle needs to have good head support for the seat to be an option... It also has 17" top slots and can be found for under $100 at albeebaby.

I think I'd just find a nice way to word a reply - "I understand where you're coming from, and I agree that a harnessed seat is safer when it fits the child properly. I recently heard about "insert seat of choice here* that will allow kids to be harnessed to *insert weight* here and has taller harness height. I know you're just trying to keep your ds as safe as possible, so I thought you might like to know about these safer options. These seats will let you have the best of both worlds - use a seat safely within it's recommended limits, and keep your ds in a 5pt harness. There's other options to keep kids in a 5pt harness past 40lbs too that I can give links to if you'd like."

She knows about higher weight limit seats. The original thread was about the Kyle Miller foundation. She doesn't want to apply for a seat through them but they are in the middle of moving and don't want to buy another seat.

Wow, she's a gambler. We got one at a car seat clinic last month. child about 55 lbs in a combo seat, with the straps. Child kept saying, "mom, I told you I was too big for these straps!" He looks horrible.

Tell her they test the seats with a 34 pound dummy and they pass. They test them with a 48 pound dummy (without the top tether) and they fail. It's pretty simple. I pray that child is not in a cosco 3-in-1 using the harness position that's meant for booster use, and I pray that seat is top tethered...then that kid will have a ghost of a chance.