Booster questions-belt guides

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thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #1

I know open belt guides are better, why?

 

Tara

New member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #2

I'm sure a tech can give a better answer but..I'll go ahead anywho..

The open belt guides allow for movement of the seat belt. So that it can properly retract to protect the child. Those other guides can hold the belt too tightly so that if the child were to lean up and (of course) the belt goes with him/her it then creates and leaves slack across the front of a child which we know, in case of an accident, isn't going to be helpful. The child will go too far forward before the seat belt 'kicks in' and protects.

Did that help?

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #3

what Tara said. A closed belt guide will not allow the seatbelt to retract freely when/if a child moves, leaving dangerous slack.

 

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thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #4

Thanks! I talked to a tech friend this morning on the phone and she said the same thing.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #5

yep Now if only MY car had locking shoulder belts (we have locking latchplates). There is NO WAY I can fit a Husky in the Jeep (although my Touriva arrived a couple of days ago) and Gregory will not sit properly.

 

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thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #6

I will never buy a car w/out those locking belts now. lol They saved me the other day when I HAD to drive w/ AJ in a booster (that was after his puke incident in the Evenflo), ugh. He did surprisingly well the 3 mins home and I drove 20 the whole way.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #7

heh. I couldn't tell you how long it's been since we've had a car with locking shoulder belts. Frankencaddy had switchable retractors on th eLAP portion of the belt (which is all you need for locking in a car seat) but the shoulder belts moved freely. All our other cars have locking latchplates.

 

Tara

New member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #8

Frankencaddy


HA! (said in best Alf imitation I can muster) I just love that, cracks me up!

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #9

I wish my '94 MPV had locking shoulderbelts. At least it has locking latchplates, carseats aren't too difficult to install in 4 of the 5 rear seating positions. The 5th position is the middle row, passenger/center side (it's a two-seater bench). It has an ALR lapbelt there, which doesn't sound so bad at first, but it is set about THREE INCHES forward of the seat bight. This causes carseats to slide forward at the base, allowing tons of wiggle room. The only seats I've been able to install there are the Fisher Price Futura and the Husky, because of the reverse belt path. The reverse path holds the seats tight. BUT Britax recalled the reverse path with lapbelths, so that's a no-go now. I don't know what I'll do when Hayley outgrows the Futura. I want her to stay harnessed, but I want her to stay in that lapbelt spot, for a few reasons: she gets carsick, but not so much if she's in the middle where she can see out the front window...also, if I have to install her seat anywhere else it only leaves me two lap/shoulderbelts for other passengers, and leaves a crappy lapbelt spot in an otherwise nice seating position.

I don't want her in a booster full-time because my shoulderbelts don't lock, and because I just feel like she's safer in a harness.

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2006

• #10

LOL Yeah, dh dubbed it that after he used metal straps to repair some body damage - we sold it yesterday though. lol So now my personalized plates will temporarily go on the Jeep until I get whatever car I'm going to get.
I'm pushing for a van, but I want dual sliding doors if we go that route and that may be more than we can afford without getting an older car than we'd like.
I imagine we'll end up with a Hyundai Sonata, which is nice, but will prevent me from putting Gregory in a Regent.

 

Tara

New member

• Mar 7, 2006

• #11

Gee, I don't suppose you'd want to mosey over to the KY/IN area to buy that Sonata eh? My hubby could sure use a sale!

I mean, it's just, what...7 hr? (I honestly don't know, just threw out a number LOL)

 

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thepeach80

Senior Community Member

• Mar 7, 2006

• #12

I'll be in KY in Sept, but I doubt we'd buy a van then.

 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin

Staff member

• Mar 7, 2006

• #13

The problem are "open" style guides that are too narrow to allow the shoulder belt to move freely. So, if the child leans forward or pulls on the belt, it may catch on the guide and not retract automatically. Some Evenflo and Cosco designs were noted to have this problem by Consumer Reports a number of years ago.

The locking clip style guides used in some Century and Graco seats are not necessarily a problem. These guides cinch the shoulder belt firmly when used correctly. That keeps the child from pulling the shoulder belt in the first place. Some designs of these seats had other noted issues and could also be a problem if routed incorrectly (i.e. only through one half of the clip).

Also:

http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html#Q29

 

Tara

New member

• Mar 7, 2006

• #14

Jennifer...really?
Well, ya know, if things change...gimme a call teeheehee

So what brings you from Nebraska to KY??
That'll be a pretty good haul. We went from this area up to northern Minnesota, so I can somewhat relate to that trek. *yawn* hehe

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Mar 7, 2006

• #15

LOL KY/IN is about 8 hours. LOL And since we'll be buying an older (2000/2001) model, I don't know it would help you anyway. lol