Help! Does he pass the 5 step test??

MamaTo*My-Little-Monkeys* · May 10, 2009

Hi, My DS is 9 yrs old, 4' 11" & 104 lbs.

I am thinking in my Venture he doesn't pass the test yet, but in my husband's Impala I can't decide if he does. His feet are flat on the floor in both vehicles without shoes on, he has very long legs!

He has been using a lbb in both of our vehicles.

Please help!!

Chevy Venture

Chevy Venture

Chevy Impala

Chevy Impala, this pic taken from the front driver side seat!

myliljunebugs · May 10, 2009

The lap belt looks too high to me in both vehicles. But I am NOT a tech

Andie · May 10, 2009

IMHO, no. In the Venture, the lap belt is too high and the shoulder belt is on his neck. In the Impala, the lap belt looks a little high to me And, in the first photo, the shoulder belt looks fine, but in the second picture it looks too high. :sorry!:

MamaTo*My-Little-Monkeys* · May 10, 2009

I am thinking in the Venture he is going to have to be in a lbb for a long time since I don't even pass & I am 5' 3.5"!

I was hoping he might pass in the impala since I have 2 other seats in there, but guess we will continue to use the lbb.

Is it normal to not pass the 5 step test at his height?

He isn't complaining at all about being in a booster, he said he feels safer in the lbb. Although all his friends don't use one & he is about 6" taller then they are. DS's best friend, her parents don't have her in one & let her sit in the front seat, they told me there friends/family at the fire station said she is perfectly safe

I just bought him the new Harmony lbb today to have in the van since he is so big!

Thanks!!

Maedze · May 10, 2009

In the Ventura he's unfortunately a picture perfect example of a child who doesn't pass the 5-step test

The Impala looks more promising. He looks completely fine in the first picture, actually. The belt might look a titch high in the second photo, but that might be more from photo angle than anything. Where do his hips lie, are they over the top of the belt? Is the belt resting on his pubic bone or on his tummy?

MamaTo*My-Little-Monkeys* · May 11, 2009

Thanks for all the help!

When he gets home from school I will take another pic of him from the front passenger seat to get a better angle of the belt fit.

Thanks, Jamie

tiggercat · May 11, 2009

He definitely doesn't fit in the Venture, the lap belt is too high and the shoulder belt is more on his neck than the shoulder. The belt geometry is very unfortunate in that vehicle.

I too would like to see more pics in the Impala. The lapbelt fit there looks ok to me, and the shoulder belt is hard to tell from those pics. I think he might be being pushed a bit to the side by the MA in the middle and if he could scooch over an inch the shoulder belt would be just fine.

thepeach80 · May 11, 2009

Does a lbb put his head too high for support?

heyruthie · May 11, 2009

your DS has the exact same stats as I do, and fits in his belts just the same way too.....it stinks being a 30 year old 5-step test flunkie.....

MamaTo*My-Little-Monkeys* · May 11, 2009

The venture the headrest I am pretty certain he has more growing room since it goes pretty tall, the Impala we just got, but I think he is close.

Is it the top of his ears shouldn't go over the headrest?

I can take a pic of him in the lbb too.

We bought the venture when ds was only 4 yrs old at the time so I wasn't thinking ahead, but all of the seatbelts in the back don't fit right. I can't stand it! At least the front seats fit me perfectly

The 2nd row is even worse than the 3rd row. Unfortunately I'll be stuck with this dilema for at least another 4-5 yrs since we just bought the impala. ugh...

Jeanum · May 11, 2009

Right, for proper support and whiplash protection, the tops of his ears should not be above the vehicle's headrest.

MamaTo*My-Little-Monkeys* · May 11, 2009

Here are the other pics! What do you think? The belt lies below the top of his hip bone.

Impala No Booster

Impala No Booster

Impala With Booster

Impala with booster showing headrest

Venture with Dakota Combi Booster

Venture with Harmony Booster

Maedze · May 11, 2009

Nice! He obviously needs a booster in the Venture and the Dakota does what it's supposed to do :thumbsup:

The belt DOES fit better with the Dakota in the Impala, but his ears are borderline at the top of the head rest too. One growth spurt and they'll be over.

As a technician I'll tell you it's a parental choice in the Impala. As a parent I will tell you that I would be comfortable with the belt fit in the Impala without a booster if it were my child, but I would probably continue to use the Dakota until the day his ears went over the top of the seatback.

thepeach80 · May 11, 2009

From pics, I think I would be o.k. w/ him in no booster in the Impala, van, no way! I barely pass in my van's 3rd row.

ginny4 · May 11, 2009

the venture pic looks exactly like what my DS looks like in our grand caravan. i agree about seatbelt geometry. it stinks back there. i'm not sure what it is like in the 2nd row. haven't checked DS in a while. i plan to check in a couple weeks. as i promised him a seatbelt check for his 10th b-day

ginny4 · May 11, 2009

LOL i walked away from computer for a lil bit while i was tyoing my post above & looky by time i finish there was much more action on this thread.

anyway. i'd be comfortable with the impala in no booster. would keep backless for the van. myabe by time yours & my DSs are driving they won't need a backless booster in these vans. LOL

Chameleon · May 11, 2009

How does the belt fit when you take it out of that black holder thing. I was under the assumption that that was not a positional device. I might be wrong though.

abacus2 · May 12, 2009

I was iffy seeing the original pictures, but the with a booster pics clearly show that the booster provides the proper fit.

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue* · May 12, 2009

Booster I think is needed, but I am not a tech.

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Are the headrests adjustable in the Impala?

Help! Does he pass the 5 step test??

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