Grr, family carseat issues

Simplysomething · Jul 13, 2006

So, I have a DS who will be 6 at the end of the month. I also have a niece who will be 6 at the end of the month (no, we didn't plan it that way. lol). Both my ds and my niece are about average size both height and weight wise for their age. Niece is slightly shorter than DS (but not much...). Basically, they are the same size.

SIL called me tonight...to see what the requirements are for VA. Apparently she desperately wants to get niece out of a booster, because their car is cramped... Yeah. I know. (They also have a van...which is what they drive most of the time). I told her, legally, in our state, she can be out of the booster at age 6, but she shouldn't unless she properly fits with the regular seat belt.

I told her about the 5 step test...specifically her being able to bend her knees at the end of the car's seat with her butt back against the back of the seat.

Oh well. She has stopped listening to me, so I've stopped trying to urge her on.

I'm frustrated. lol (Also? PMS.)

Simply

skaterbabs · Jul 13, 2006

Actually, VA requires proper use, which mean if she gets pulled by a cop who knows his stuff and the kids don't fit the adult seatbelt she *could* be ticketed. The letter of the law says kids age 6 and up must be properly restrained. If the seatbelt doesn't fit, that's not "properly restrained."

And I know several officers who WILL ticket for it.

Simplysomething · Jul 13, 2006

skaterbabscpst said:
Actually, VA requires proper use, which mean if she gets pulled by a cop who knows his stuff and the kids don't fit the adult seatbelt she *could* be ticketed. The letter of the law says kids age 6 and up must be properly restrained. If the seatbelt doesn't fit, that's not "properly restrained."

And I know several officers who WILL ticket for it.

Okay! I'll have to tell her that. Now, do any of those officers live in the South Hampton Roads area? lol I'll have to email her again that I was wrong, she can't legally ride in the belt, right? Because she doesn't fit the seat belt? I'd call her and tell her, but it's way late...it's nearly 10! lol

So, yay!

Under this section at the DMV website, I read this :

Virginia law requires all children age six through age 15 to be properly secured in an approved child safety seat, booster seat or safety belt no matter where the child is seated in the vehicle. [...]

In Virginia, a police officer can stop a vehicle if children up to the age 16 riding in the vehicle are not properly restrained.

I emailed her links and info from these pages :
Misuse Patterns: Booster Seats and Safety Belts
And this one : Injury Patterns for Booster Aged Kids NOT USING Boosters.

I also actually sent her the relavent links from the DMV website (the one that quotes VA law, but I failed to notice the proper use thingy).

I feel better now.

skaterbabs · Jul 13, 2006

Not sure about Hampton Roads, but I know several Chesterfield/Richmond area officers will if the child obviously does not fit and the parent is resistant.

thepeach80 · Jul 14, 2006

Isn't that frustrating? I have a friend whose 7yo still needs a booster, but our state law doesn't require it and he threw a fit when I reccomended it so she doesn't make him use it. Her 2yo dd is the same size as AJ (maybe heavier) so I'm worried about what will happen when she hits 40#. I know she's talking about a bigger seat for her DH's truck, but only b/c it's lap belt only in the middle.

Kellyr2 · Jul 14, 2006

Sounds like my family. Our nephew is 5 weeks younger than Mikayla, but he actually only weighs 32 lbs at 4 yrs old, and my dd is 38 lbs. But they were getting frustrated with his old seat, so they bought him a booster (It WAS an annoying seat...). Then she saw that he wasn't sitting up right in it, so she put our old convertible seat that had been in MIL's car for the kids, into her car. Which was fine! But he uses the booster in MIL's car now. And dh just mentioned to her a couple weeks ago that the convertible she's using either has expired, or will be very very soon. We bought it in September 2000. So, I"m sure she'll be buying a booster for him for full time use.

Victorious4 · Jul 19, 2006

Glad to hear it seems to be working out well in the end.... Hopefully your bro & SIL are smarter than my sis & BIL -- living in NV where there is a booster law, they still refused to use one after kiddo turned 4

Grr, family carseat issues

Simplysomething

New member

skaterbabs

Well-known member

Simplysomething

New member

skaterbabs

Well-known member

thepeach80

Senior Community Member

Kellyr2

New member

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics