It’s no big secret that lots of people are often flummoxed when it comes to car seats and booster seats. Is it the right size? Has the law changed again? Does my baby need to be extended rear facing? While there is lots of legislation, some of it isn’t enforceable and tends to just be a guideline. Toby is now three and we’ve been looking around at car seats to ensure he’s in the right one for his height, weight and age, which he is, but we’ve also been considering the future of booster seats and it’s absolutely crucial that we get it right; if we were in a crash it could be the difference between the life and death of our child so we have to make sure it’s right.
But what are the booster seat guidelines these days? It seems to be ever changing and can be quite hard to know what the right thing to do is, so here’s a little low down on the changes to booster seat guidelines.
The current 2006 law states that all children travelling in a car must use the correct car seat appropriate for their weight or height or until they reach certain parameters; either 12 years of age or 135cm in height – which ever comes first. And it is the responsibility of the car driver to ensure that any and all children under 14 in the vehicle are using the correct restraint – so don’t let your 12 year old tell you otherwise, you’ll be the one who ends up in trouble. My parents used to tell me that if I didn’t wear my seatbelt that I would be the one to go to prison and that was scary enough for me to wear it thank you very much!
However, there were reports as recently as April this year in the media about “backless” booster seats being banned. This is not true as no “new law” has actually been passed. Having said that, car seat safety for children over the age of 15 months is currently under review. These discussions include making backless booster seats approved for children taller than 125cm AND who weigh more than 22kg, however nothing has been confirmed.
I think the other thing that people tend to forget is that any new law that is passed on such seats will only apply to new products, not any car or booster seat that you may already have in use so you do not have to rush out and buy a new one!
There’s also a lot of chit chat around i-Size which is a new car seat legislation that was introduced in July 2013 as part of European safety standards although it only came into force in the UK on 27th March and 1st April 2015. I am absolutely no expert in this and as far as I know it doesn’t replace existing legislation, but it’s definitely worth keeping an ear and an eye out.
The i-Size laws are still in “development” by all kinds of experts and law makers and while it’s likely there will be changes to car seat and booster seat guidelines, it’s obviously not guaranteed. So, if you’re not sure on booster seat guidelines here are five top tips that you can use!
- Consult a professional. It’s no good looking it up on the internet as you’re likely to get conflicting information or just end up totally confused and none the wiser! Go to a place where an expert can fit your car or booster seat to ensure it’s the right one for your child’s height, weight and/or age! It’s also worth asking the person fitting to show you exactly how it should be and feel when it’s been fitted correctly, just incase you need to take it out of the car – which is super likely if they’re sleeping and tiny enough to carry!
- Always buy new. Unless you can absolutely and unequivocally guarantee that when you buy second hand, the seat you’re getting has never been in a car accident.
- If you’re buying a travel system, start with the car seat and then find a compatible pushchair. Your baby’s safety in the car comes second to none, not even a fashionable stroller.
- Make sure the car seat you’re getting is compatible with your car. Things like bucket seats can be a nightmare when it comes to getting a car seat, don’t just buy it because it’s the cheapest one.
- Always consider the next stage. Just because one brand’s car seat is right, doesn’t meant their booster seat will be compatible – try before you buy and ensure you at least know how much your child weighs as well as their height.
I really hope this has helped you a little bit! Obviously I am not here to give advice, I’ll leave that to the pros, but make sure you do your research because car safety is absolutely no joke and it’s not something you can take a chance on.
*This is a collaborative post.