What am I missing?

Unregistered · Jan 21, 2009

I was a designated parent driver today for my DD's 4-year old class preschool field trip (why they are on a field trip at 4 is beyond me, but that's another story). Anyway, I was shocked and aghast that the two girls I was driving (in addition to my own children) had the wrong carseats. One had a booster only-seat and the other had a lightweight no-harness Graco seat (to use with lap belt). My two just graduated from the Britax Roundabout to the Graco Nautilus, they are 2.5 and 5. The two girls from my DD's class did not look safe to me at all. Their parents helped them "install" their seats and seemed perfectly fine with it all. While I was driving the two girls were leaning down and reaching to the storage areas behind my seat. This seemed so wrong. Am I missing something? Am I a carseat nazi?

KaceyLynn · Jan 21, 2009

I hear you!

my DS's preschool is 3 - 4 & 5 year olds

today they took a trip to go sledding

parents are required to leave some sort of carseat - but all of them were left boosters

in my van DS (5 years old -- 46lbs) rides in a regent
but there is just no way I can expect someone else to be able to get that installed correctly - I too left him a booster

most parent's though just either a. don't know any better or b. don't care

very sad!

carseatcoach · Jan 21, 2009

Booster seats are not my first choice for 4yos, but they are not necessarily the "wrong" seats. A booster cannot be used with a lap belt, though, so if you are in that situation again you should put one of your harnessed seats in the lap-belt-only position.

Mom to a few · Jan 21, 2009

Welcome! If you are crazy about everything related to car seats, you've come to the right place

!

Sorry about the bad experience! One option is to only transport your own properly restrained children. If you don't feel comfortable transporting those other kids (for whatever reason), then don't. I recently refused to have a child ride with me in the seat the parents provided. He was 3 yrs old, about the size of an 18 mos old, and they handed me a backless booster. After I explained that it was not only unsafe, but also illegal, they let me use one of my harnessed seats.

After that experience, I had the school add information to their field trip permission slip saying, "_______'s state law requires that children must ride in a harnessed seat until AT LEAST 4 yrs AND 40 lbs. If your child is going to participate in the field trip, you must either provide a seat that meets ______'s state law, or transport your child yourself." The next field trip came around, and that same tiny child had a new harnessed seat to take on the field trip!

Your situation is different though. While we like for kids to remain harnessed until they have the maturity to sit properly, a child who is 4 yrs old and 40 lbs is legally allowed to use a booster. You mentioned one of the kids using a Graco seat as a booster with a lap belt--Please remember, all boosters MUST use a lap-shoulder belt. Using only a lap belt with a booster could severely injure the child in a crash, and goes against the manufacturer's instructions for the seat.

In the future, if you are having problems with someone else's child moving around too much in a booster, you can sometimes lock the shoulder belt to help them remember to stay in position (depending on your vehicle instruction manual, and the booster seat instructions). I also usually give a brief "talk" before we head out on a field trip to remind the kids to sit correctly, and use "inside voices" while we are traveling to our destination. Good luck

!

Unregistered · Jan 22, 2009

Thanks for all your responses. I should probably just create an account and join the conversations more often.

One was in a true backless booster (I think graco) and used the shoulder/lap seatbelt (she is slightly taller and heavier than the others). I think the other used the Graco Turbo Booster. The problem with both was that even while using the shoulder/lap belt with their seats, they were able to goof off and bend forward. So in using these seats the child not only needs to be mature enough to sit properly (yeah right), but also needs to meet the height/weight requirements. I think that both kids likely met the height/weight requirements of each seat, I just think they seemed absurdly unsafe. I am a long-time lurker and have considered becoming a safety technician. I seriously spent two hours moving my two Graco Nautilus seats to the third row of my 04 Honda Pilot (with, I might add, ROCK SOLID installation) to make room for the girls in the second row. It is my understanding from reading this board, that the safest place is in a 5-point harness (like GN, Frontier, etc.) as long as possible. The other seats were so easy, I guess that's why the parents use them.

bobandjess99 · Jan 22, 2009

Unregistered said:
I think graco) and used the shoulder/lap becoming a safety technician. I seriously spent two hours moving my two Graco Nautilus seats to the third row of my 04 Honda Pilot (with, I might add, ROCK SOLID installation) to.

do your seatbelts lock at the retractor? If so, what you can do is "lock" the seatbelt on teh booster-riding kids, so they can't move forward. :thumbsup:

CTPDMom · Jan 23, 2009

Mom To A Few...what state are you in that has 4 and 40? I've spoken with a # of people here in CT and they just insist that it's not possible to make this part of our state law due to the prohibitive cost to some parents. (As many kids don't make it to 40lbs in a 40lbs seat, they outgrow them by height or they hit 40lbs well before age 4.) Would love to get some more info on how your state was able to pass that!

Mom to a few · Jan 23, 2009

CTPDMom said:
Mom To A Few...what state are you in that has 4 and 40? I've spoken with a # of people here in CT and they just insist that it's not possible to make this part of our state law due to the prohibitive cost to some parents. (As many kids don't make it to 40lbs in a 40lbs seat, they outgrow them by height or they hit 40lbs well before age 4.) Would love to get some more info on how your state was able to pass that!

Well, apparently I was wrong

. In my class, they specifically said that our state law is 4 yrs and 40 lbs. I even asked, "What if a parent has a 40 lbs 2 yr old in a booster?" They said that while it was certainly not "best practice", that they wouldn't give the parent a ticket since many parents simply can't afford to buy a HWH seat. One of the police officers (a CPST-I) that I sometimes work with tells parents the same thing when they come in with a 4 yr old who is less than 40 lbs--That their child still needs to be in a 5-pt harness. Apparently, the only true minimum for a booster in our state is that the child must be 4 yrs old. Again, sorry for the misinformation

.

Our state law actually says:

* Children under one (1) year of age, or any child, weighing twenty (20) pounds or less, must be secured in a child passenger restraint system in a rear facing position, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards, in a rear seat, if available, or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions. (Note: If the child safety seat has a higher rear-facing weight rating, usually 30 or 35 pounds, it may be continued to be used in a rear-facing position so long as the child's weight permits. Check the manufacturers instructions accompanying the child safety seat for more information.)
* Children age one (1) through age three (3), and weighing more than twenty (20) pounds, must be secured in a child safety seat in a forward facing position in the rear seat, if available, or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions.
* Children age four (4) through age eight (8), and measuring less than four feet nine inches (4'9") in height, must be secured in a belt-positioning booster seat system, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards in the rear seat, if available, or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions. (Note: If the child is not between age four (4) and age eight (8), but is less than four feet nine inches (4'9") in height, he/she must still use a seat belt system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.)
* Children age nine (9) through age twelve (12), or any child through twelve (12) years of age, measuring four feet nine inches (4'9") or more in height, must be secured in a seat belt system. It is recommended that any such child be placed in the rear seat, if available. (Note: If the child is not between age nine (9) and age twelve (12), but is four feet nine inches (4'9") or more in height, he/she must still use a seat belt system meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.)
* Children age thirteen (13) through age fifteen (15) must be secured by using a passenger restraint system, including safety belts, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.
* Provision is made for the transportation of children in medically prescribed modified child restraints. A copy of Doctor's prescription is to be carried in the vehicle utilizing the modified child restraint at all times.
* The driver of the car is responsible for making sure that children under age sixteen (16) are properly restrained and may be charged and fined $50.00 for violation of the law. If the child's parent or legal guardian is present in the car but not driving, the parent or legal guardian is responsible for making sure that the child is properly transported and may be fined for non-compliance.
* Police officers observing violations of this law are permitted to stop drivers and take enforcement action. PLEASE PROPERLY RESTRAIN CHILDREN.

mom2e&g · Jan 23, 2009

I am thinking of mentioning it to the director of the preschool, maybe she can include some FYI-type info in the next newsletter.

Thanks all who replied.

I'm officially registered now, so no more lurking!

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carseatcoach

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