Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Car seat safety
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 155608" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Things are a little different in Australia, but perhaps in the direction of stricter, more enforced seat belt legislation. And it is important - when compulsory seat belt wearing came in, our road toll plummeted.</p><p></p><p>Child seats change over time. There are a lot of manufacturers and a lot of different designs. This used to be very confusing - I remember when I was a teenager and my sister had her kids in child restraints. They were very different then, they were more like a little high chair that strapped into the car. No seat belt or harness, just a padded arm that swung round in front of the child. It looked less like a child seat (of today) and more like a seat on a fairground ride.</p><p></p><p>We now have legislation which includes strictly defined codes. All seats etc on the market MUST comply with the legislation and the standards. They are tested, they are checked up on. It's very strict. Because I don't have kids of child restraint age any more, I'm not in touch with the fine details of the current legislation. But the basics - ALL child restraints, even for newborn, must include a five point harness (like a racing driver's harness). Baby capsules used to have a wide velcro strap that went across the baby's middle - no longer. It's just not enough - I remember a tragic accident that was in the news and that contributed to the change, where a woman's car rolled. She survived because she was wearing her seat belt (as our law requires). The baby capsule stayed firmly in place, but the baby slipped out from the velcro strap, was thrown from the car and killed.</p><p></p><p>Something you need to always remember, even if you've just bought the top of the line absolute best seat on the market - standards change. Laws change. So not only do you need to watch out for materials degradation, you need to watch out for a shift in what is considered acceptable.</p><p></p><p>Standards also change on how the restraints can be used. When easy child 2/difficult child 2 was a baby, I was able to put her baby capsule in the front passenger seat. So I did - it meant I could keep a closer eye on her while we were on the road. The other two kids filled the back seat. But these days that is not permitted. I would have to put the oldest child in the front passenger, and then only if there were no other seat available.</p><p></p><p>Also, spending a lot of money is no guarantee that you've bought the safest. You would hope it would be, but often it is not. There can be other safety issues, such as hidden sharp edges, finger traps etc.</p><p></p><p>All cars manufactured for sale in Australia are supposed to have the child restraint anchor points according to legislation. And we have to use them properly, or we get fined just as readily as if we hadn't put the child in a restraint at all. Older second-hand cars might not be up to scratch re current legislation but most anchor points can be retro-fitted.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and on the topic of adding little 'extras' to your child restraint, such as sheepskin covers, fleecy seatbelt covers etc - some restraint manufacturers have these available in their range. For us, these extras MUST meet standards or may not be sold. While it is technically possible to buy something like a restraint cover crocheted by some little old lady somewhere, if we stick to only buying extras which were approved by the manufacturer for use with the specific model of restraint we use, then it should be OK. For example, we bought a washable sheepskin cover for the child seat we used for difficult child 3. The seat was a Series 2 Mk III, the cover was sold as designed for Series 2 Mk III and it was very useful, we could swap covers over and wash them alternately, when difficult child 3 made a mess of it.</p><p></p><p></p><p>In Australia, nobody goes without a seat belt or restraint, who legally is supposed to wear one. So peer pressure is not an issue. Thank goodness!</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 155608, member: 1991"] Things are a little different in Australia, but perhaps in the direction of stricter, more enforced seat belt legislation. And it is important - when compulsory seat belt wearing came in, our road toll plummeted. Child seats change over time. There are a lot of manufacturers and a lot of different designs. This used to be very confusing - I remember when I was a teenager and my sister had her kids in child restraints. They were very different then, they were more like a little high chair that strapped into the car. No seat belt or harness, just a padded arm that swung round in front of the child. It looked less like a child seat (of today) and more like a seat on a fairground ride. We now have legislation which includes strictly defined codes. All seats etc on the market MUST comply with the legislation and the standards. They are tested, they are checked up on. It's very strict. Because I don't have kids of child restraint age any more, I'm not in touch with the fine details of the current legislation. But the basics - ALL child restraints, even for newborn, must include a five point harness (like a racing driver's harness). Baby capsules used to have a wide velcro strap that went across the baby's middle - no longer. It's just not enough - I remember a tragic accident that was in the news and that contributed to the change, where a woman's car rolled. She survived because she was wearing her seat belt (as our law requires). The baby capsule stayed firmly in place, but the baby slipped out from the velcro strap, was thrown from the car and killed. Something you need to always remember, even if you've just bought the top of the line absolute best seat on the market - standards change. Laws change. So not only do you need to watch out for materials degradation, you need to watch out for a shift in what is considered acceptable. Standards also change on how the restraints can be used. When easy child 2/difficult child 2 was a baby, I was able to put her baby capsule in the front passenger seat. So I did - it meant I could keep a closer eye on her while we were on the road. The other two kids filled the back seat. But these days that is not permitted. I would have to put the oldest child in the front passenger, and then only if there were no other seat available. Also, spending a lot of money is no guarantee that you've bought the safest. You would hope it would be, but often it is not. There can be other safety issues, such as hidden sharp edges, finger traps etc. All cars manufactured for sale in Australia are supposed to have the child restraint anchor points according to legislation. And we have to use them properly, or we get fined just as readily as if we hadn't put the child in a restraint at all. Older second-hand cars might not be up to scratch re current legislation but most anchor points can be retro-fitted. Oh, and on the topic of adding little 'extras' to your child restraint, such as sheepskin covers, fleecy seatbelt covers etc - some restraint manufacturers have these available in their range. For us, these extras MUST meet standards or may not be sold. While it is technically possible to buy something like a restraint cover crocheted by some little old lady somewhere, if we stick to only buying extras which were approved by the manufacturer for use with the specific model of restraint we use, then it should be OK. For example, we bought a washable sheepskin cover for the child seat we used for difficult child 3. The seat was a Series 2 Mk III, the cover was sold as designed for Series 2 Mk III and it was very useful, we could swap covers over and wash them alternately, when difficult child 3 made a mess of it. In Australia, nobody goes without a seat belt or restraint, who legally is supposed to wear one. So peer pressure is not an issue. Thank goodness! Marg [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Car seat safety
Top