This is not really an issue right now, but I thought it would be good to know the facts for future reference.
When my son was nearing the weight limit for his EFT, I was waiting for the GN Galaxy to show up, hoping I could get one before DS hit 40 lbs. I mentioned to my dad (retired automotive engineer) that I might just have to get another Matrix b/c DS was getting close to 40 lbs. He said there was likely a "cushion" with regard to the weight limit and that it would probably be safe to use for a few lbs over 40. He never had anything to do with car seats in his work, but he seemed to think it a given that they would be designed with a weight cushion. He didn't push it and understood why I wanted to switch him at or before 40 lbs, so as to follow the manufacturer's guidelines (he is a rule-follower for the most part), but he really didn't think I should worry about it too much. I didn't really have an explanation other than "but the techs at car-seat.org say . . . " and I wished I could definitively say *why* it's a bad idea. Later on, it occurred to me that it probably has to do with the weights of the dummies. Is that correct? If a seat is rated to 40 lbs, then it has been crash-tested with dummies up to 40 lbs exactly? Or do they go over at all? Or is the weight limit decided upon
in some other way?
Don't worry, I am not looking for a justification to go over the weight limits. I will follow them precisely. I am just wondering how I can explain this to my dad if the subject comes up again.
When my son was nearing the weight limit for his EFT, I was waiting for the GN Galaxy to show up, hoping I could get one before DS hit 40 lbs. I mentioned to my dad (retired automotive engineer) that I might just have to get another Matrix b/c DS was getting close to 40 lbs. He said there was likely a "cushion" with regard to the weight limit and that it would probably be safe to use for a few lbs over 40. He never had anything to do with car seats in his work, but he seemed to think it a given that they would be designed with a weight cushion. He didn't push it and understood why I wanted to switch him at or before 40 lbs, so as to follow the manufacturer's guidelines (he is a rule-follower for the most part), but he really didn't think I should worry about it too much. I didn't really have an explanation other than "but the techs at car-seat.org say . . . " and I wished I could definitively say *why* it's a bad idea. Later on, it occurred to me that it probably has to do with the weights of the dummies. Is that correct? If a seat is rated to 40 lbs, then it has been crash-tested with dummies up to 40 lbs exactly? Or do they go over at all? Or is the weight limit decided upon
in some other way?
Don't worry, I am not looking for a justification to go over the weight limits. I will follow them precisely. I am just wondering how I can explain this to my dad if the subject comes up again.