From CPS Express: Setting the Record Straight on Overtightening Seatbelts

[luckyclov]

I'm still not afraid of reclining/installing/uprighting the seat

I'm not, either...though, I only resort to the reclining the seat trick if I can't make anything else work acceptably. My puny arse isn't going to damage much. My DH, on the other hand, would probably rip the vehicle seat back completely off with his Hulk-like strength.

 

[joolsplus3]

Rigid LATCH would be nice. Except it would just suck in my car. Which has not LATCH.

Don't feel bad, most of us have to suffer with ridiculously low weight limits, we might as well not have LATCH, either. :thumbsdown:

 

[skaterbabs]

I agree with Julie. While I *have* had a dad damage a SEAT, and have known of seatbelts being damaged by over-zealous firefighters, in each case there were other factors at play. The seat in question was an Evenflo infant base, and the tabs for the recline adjustment snapped while the dad tried to force the seat to fit his vehicle. The seatbelt was in a vehicle that was several years old, and later had a recall on the retractor IIRC.

Never have I heard of the seatbelt itself being damaged from human force.

 

[LISmama810]

Yeah, I'm not worried about using a knee. It's having Dad and Firefighter Bob jumping up and down on the seat that really makes me worry.

I mainly get frustrated with people who won't accept anything less than rock-the-car-solid, even to the point of getting rid of seats that have acceptable but not rock-solid installs. (Their right, of course, I just don't get it.)

Does anyone remember the study published in Safe Ride News or SafetyBeltSafe a year or two ago about how seats with extra slack (more than an inch) performed the same as those installed properly? I don't remember the amount of slack, and the idea certainly isn't to disregard tightening the seat properly.

It's a good reminder, though, that at a certain point it's like splitting hairs.

 

[lemurmommies]

Reading the CPS Express and the subsequent posts has been really interesting! When I was certified (in 2008) my instructor was one who required us to get rock-solid installations all the time, and IMO it was over the top. He did indeed damage one of our training seats trying to get it rock-solid in a Saturn Vue, which solidified my opinion that less than 1" was the way to go and not to worry so much about it.

 

[safeinthecar]

I agree with Julie. While I *have* had a dad damage a SEAT, and have known of seatbelts being damaged by over-zealous firefighters, in each case there were other factors at play. The seat in question was an Evenflo infant base, and the tabs for the recline adjustment snapped while the dad tried to force the seat to fit his vehicle. The seatbelt was in a vehicle that was several years old, and later had a recall on the retractor IIRC.

Never have I heard of the seatbelt itself being damaged from human force.

I damaged a seat once by kneeling on it. It was about 15 years old and brittle and I was glad it broke as that that was the excuse that finally worked to get the lead tech to let me give out a program seat.

I had a Smartmove once that two firefighters were sitting on top of while I tried to get the (locking clip adorned) seat belt to buckle. I would have given just about anything if that sucker would have broken.

I with Julie on not being too terribly worried about the recline the seat trick as long as common sense is applied. (yeah, I know, not something that a lot of people are in the habit of doing in regards to car seats) There is a big difference on reclining the seat, then bringing it back up easily, and getting in behind it and pushing it back up with your legs.

Does anyone remember the study published in Safe Ride News or SafetyBeltSafe a year or two ago about how seats with extra slack (more than an inch) performed the same as those installed properly? I don't remember the amount of slack, and the idea certainly isn't to disregard tightening the seat properly.

I'm pretty sure you are talking about a study that showed that there was no difference in performance with 1-3 inches of movement when a top tether was in use.

 

[LISmama810]

I'm pretty sure you are talking about a study that showed that there was no difference in performance with 1-3 inches of movement when a top tether was in use.

Yes, that could be.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I'm not, either...though, I only resort to the reclining the seat trick if I can't make anything else work acceptably. My puny arse isn't going to damage much. My DH, on the other hand, would probably rip the vehicle seat back completely off with his Hulk-like strength.

If you can't get an acceptable install without it, then I think there's little danger of it damaging the belt. I think what they're saying is if you're ALREADY getting a really tight install, and then do this to make it TIGHTER, that's where the seatbelt damage could come in. If you've already got a very tight install, it's simply not necessary, and I could see it causing harm.

 

[turtlemama]

I was wondering about this today when I was installing my TF into the 3rd row of my car. I had the seat belt really tight and had to push down on the lock offs to get them to lock. I didnt know if that was ok or not. They went down after a few seconds, and the seat was rock solid. I didn't know it could be too tight. I was kinda worried about breaking the lock offs though, can that happen?

 

[safeinthecar]

I was wondering about this today when I was installing my TF into the 3rd row of my car. I had the seat belt really tight and had to push down on the lock offs to get them to lock. I didnt know if that was ok or not. They went down after a few seconds, and the seat was rock solid. I didn't know it could be too tight. I was kinda worried about breaking the lock offs though, can that happen?

Yes, you can break the lockoffs, and that will happen way before you are able to damage the seatbelt.

 

[murphydog77]

I with Julie on not being too terribly worried about the recline the seat trick as long as common sense is applied. (yeah, I know, not something that a lot of people are in the habit of doing in regards to car seats) There is a big difference on reclining the seat, then bringing it back up easily, and getting in behind it and pushing it back up with your legs.

:yeahthat: :thumbsup: There's no harm in reclining the vehicle seat to help get a little more leverage on the carseat as long as the vehicle seat is put back upright to a position that is *normal* recline, not super upright.

It's a trick that makes our lives and the lives of parents trying to duplicate installs easier. Don't be martyrs.

 

[Defrost]

Never have I heard of the seatbelt itself being damaged from human force.

Yeah, ours that needed replaced in the VW was almost certainly caused by my dh repeatedly (3-4 years) torquing on it with the lock-off after he'd already switched the seat belt. And it still wasn't a major malfunction - it just slipped in that one spot.