Car Seats For Children

[ans]

They are listed in full on the website - think.roadsfaety.org.uk

 

And this is the real link

 

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaign...ildcarseats.htm

[ade]

I read somewhere today that in the UK after 1 May it will be illegal to let a child under either 11 years old or 5ft tall to travel in a car without using a car seat. In an ideal world I would have car seats for all 3 of mine. Unfortunately our car isn't big enough to accommodate them so at the moment we only one for the baby. Does anybody know if Tynwald has, or is going to, introduce a similar law?

 

I'm not being funny, but wouldn't you make sure you had a car that could accommodate 3 child/car seats anyway? If you have 3 children all under the age of 11 surely you must have made some provision for a vehicle that seats them all?

[Ripsaw]

The law doesn't apply over here (yet!!) it is an advisory message for those who may be travelling across to the UK after the date mentioned in the article.

 

I did email the Road Safety Office at the DOT in regard to this issue asking if the Island would be affected, twice...

 

First email on Feb 28th:

Reply: The manager is away, Message will be forwarded.

 

and a followup on March 12th:

Reply: The Manager has read your message and will reply in due course

 

Needless to say I didn't receive a reply and didn't have the will to try a third time.

 

[Pretend question] Typical of Government departments?

[Minxie]

When I first heard about the UK regulations coming in I did phone the goverment to ask if they would apply here and was told that they will be phased in eventually but they didn't know when.

 

Edited to add: Just phoned Govt again and they told me that the legislation is going to be put to Tynwald in about November time and that they are looking at bringing in these regulations for the Island about January / February time.

[Slim]

Booster seats will fit in any car, they're only the same size as the childs bottom! DMS do some really cheap wedge shaped things that are small but really effective for over six's.

 

You shouldn't wait for it to be law, it should be something you have in place now.

[Nitro]

It looked in the other link that using a cushion or two would be the same?, Could be wrong and misread though.

 

But thats a option for people taking kids to parties etc, Just have a couple of cushions spare in the boot etc.

 

Edit : checked the link again and its looks like i'm talking crap, Has to be a booster seat cushion.

[ans]

I did email the Road Safety Office at the DOT in regard to this issue asking if the Island would be affected, twice...

 

I'm bumping this topic because Ripsaw has posted an excellent editorial on this subject on his ManxParents site. Not copy/pasting it here as you should all visit it.

 

http://www.manxparents.net/blog/2007/06/we...er-comment.html

[Lonan3]

Just a thought. If a mother with a young child (under 12 and less than 4'9" tall) is suddenly caught in the rain and decides to hail a cab for a journey of approx 6 miles - is the cab expected to carry a variety of booster seats etc? If not, would it be legal for the cabbie to accept them as passengers?

At the moment, we only have to ensure that their seat belts are fastened (a difficult enough task at times when parents can't be bothered with the hassle if the kids refuse!). Would there be any point asking the DoT?

[ans]

Like with seatbelts, indicators and common courtesy, I imagine taxi drivers are exempt.

[Albert Tatlock]

I was always advised to treat my young children as I would my best china travelling on the back seat. So when travelling I generally used to wrap them in newspaper and put them in a cupboard.

[Lonan3]

Like with common courtesy, I imagine taxi drivers are exempt.

I think you're probably mistaking us for bus drivers.

[ai_Droid]

Just a thought. If a mother with a young child (under 12 and less than 4'9" tall) is suddenly caught in the rain and decides to hail a cab for a journey of approx 6 miles - is the cab expected to carry a variety of booster seats etc? If not, would it be legal for the cabbie to accept them as passengers?

At the moment, we only have to ensure that their seat belts are fastened (a difficult enough task at times when parents can't be bothered with the hassle if the kids refuse!). Would there be any point asking the DoT?

 

For some reason, in a taxi a booster seat is only required if the childs in the front, not in the back. There's also a 'caught short' clause;

 

"If no correct child restraint is available in the front or rear, an adult seat belt may be worn if the driver can prove that the child, because of an unexpected necessity, is being carried a distance of 5 miles or less"

 

I welcome the extra safety, but the rules on what forms a correct restraint is a bit vague in my book. Does a rolled up jumper count as a booster for example? It doesn't really say.

[feelslikeitshould]

I'm quite surprised that the relevant department hasn't been in touch with taxi drives to tell them, at least sending a letter so they know. I'm sure lots of parents wouldn't know about the taxi clause, which may cause problems when a parent asks where your booster seat is Lonan3.

 

I only knew about the new legislation because the youngest had a leaflet from school about it, it may even have been on last months newsletter. He has a seat but his brother, who is 8 doesn't.

[Sheriff Buford T. Justice]

According to page 12 of last weeks Courier, similar laws are being introduced in the Isle of Man from 1st July this year.

 

Edit: Oops. Didn't read the previous link.

[doodlebug]

I read somewhere today that in the UK after 1 May it will be illegal to let a child under either 11 years old or 5ft tall to travel in a car without using a car seat. In an ideal world I would have car seats for all 3 of mine. Unfortunately our car isn't big enough to accommodate them so at the moment we only one for the baby. Does anybody know if Tynwald has, or is going to, introduce a similar law?

 

I'm not being funny, but wouldn't you make sure you had a car that could accommodate 3 child/car seats anyway? If you have 3 children all under the age of 11 surely you must have made some provision for a vehicle that seats them all?

 

 

I've only just seen this reply!

 

We bought the car before we knew number 3 was on her way, and couldn't afford to change it. However we have since been bought a new car by my MIL (well nearly new anyway) which fits the whole family nicely. Trouble is second hand cars don't seem to sell her, so we are stuck with a very reliable, if old (with low mileage for age!) car which we can't get rid of. If we haven't managed to sell it before the tax runs out we will just have to scrap it, which would be a shame really.

 

The age/size restriction seems a bit strange. I cannot understand why you have to be a certain height OR over 12. Surely if you are an adult who is under that height then you should use a booster seat because the whole point is to raise the person up to the correct height for the seatbelt.