Good afternoon guys, first post so any help would be appreciated.

Just putting my Westfield on the road, first time in 2 years, dues to the family expanding. I was wondering if anyone knew the law regarding child passengers in the car?

Any help would be greatly received

Thanks in advance

Olly

I used a booster with my kids when they were very small, but I felt once they were bigger than 5 or 6 they were safer without. I've never had any interaction with the police though.

Children must normally use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first.

Thanks for the reply.

I have had my 10 year old in it previously but it was just with the change in the law recently I wondered if anyone could shed any light, the last thing I want is hassle when I'm out and about.

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Originally posted by loggyboy
Children must normally use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first.

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The change in law was about boosters with backs, but was a law about selling them not using them. You can use a normal backless booster if you still have it, you just cant buy them anymore.
Min age to use a booster is based on weight IIRC.

[Edited on 27-3-17 by loggyboy]

When I had my MK Indy I fitted my 4 yr old son's Graco seat (booster with a back) in the passenger seat. It fitted fine and I took him to pre-school (3 miles). I don't honestly know what the law is on this and drove slowly and very carefully with him aboard. Needless to say he enjoyed it immensely and wanted to go again. Sadly I sold the car shortly after his ride so it didn't happen. I didn't see any police when he was aboard.

My worry, is none of the seats are designed for Harnesses.

But saying that, I was planning on using the base type booster (7 year old kid) with the harness on a Kirkey style seat on a 900mile round trip at the start of May.

Just planning on not attracting too much police attention and hoping for the best.

I'd like to take my grandson out, but if I use a booster seat he's still likely to pop out of the shoulder straps of the 4-point harness because they're spaced for adults. With an ordinary lap-and-diagonal belt the booster raises the child so that the diagonal goes correctly across the chest.

Obviously I would be driving carefully with him in the car, as I do whenever I have a passenger in with me, I just don't fancy getting pulled and dragged over the coals for it.

I suppose it will be a case of suck it and see.

You may drive carefully, but you can't control other drivers who may collide with you...

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
You may drive carefully, but you can't control other drivers who may collide with you...

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Sounds like its not the legality that you need clarity on but the safety.

Even if you drive very carefully and you have an incident through no fault of your own, you need to know that the harness will function correctly with the child seat. I'm not qualified to give advice, but maybe one of the harness manufacturers is, or maybe ROSPA (although they will probably just say don't do it)

quote:

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Originally posted by loggyboy
The change in law was about boosters with backs, but was a law about selling them not using them. You can use a normal backless booster if you still have it, you just cant buy them anymore.
Min age to use a booster is based on weight IIRC.

[Edited on 27-3-17 by loggyboy]

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Not only must booster seat be used (depending on age/size of child),but it must be fitted correctly. As far as I'm aware no one makes a child safety seat suitable for a 4 point harness so impossible to fit the seat in the car legally and even more importantly safely. If you have retractable std type seat belts fitted to your kit then you would legally be able to fit and use child seat.For children over 125cm or weighing 22kg a backless booster seat can be used which may well be compatible with a harness but even then the law states must be fitted according to manufacturers instructions so if they don't mention use with harness then it would still be illegal.

The primary issue here is safety of a child and not the legalities. Unless the seat and harness is specifically designed/installed to work with the size of child then you are likely to be endangering the child. Any booster seat will not be retained correctly by a 4 point harness as they are not designed to work together and, as soon as it moves, the harness its self will not be tight enough to restrain the child during the impact.

Motorsport type 4 point (or 6 point) harnesses are designed to be used in a specific way, lapstraps need to come over the pelvis and the buckle needs to below the waist. Lapstraps need to be tight and then the shoulder straps can be fitted, shoulder straps mountings need to be inline with the top of the shoulders or slightly below. If shoulder strap mounts are above the shoulder (as is likely with a child) the harness will not function correctly as it will allow movement.

Worry more about the safety of the child and less about getting pulled over by the Police.

As I said above - the shoulder straps on a 4-point harness will not restrain the upper half of a child.

A lap and diagonal would be far safer, easy to fit and could possibly be in tandem with the harness.
I swapped my harnesses for lap and diagonal,with the buckle inboard.

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can i ask why you swapped to those belts?

just curious, and wondered about doing similar for my kids

Just one caution - that belt arrangement probably wouldn't pass IVA as the upper fixing is too close to the centreline. If you look at an ordinary car, the upper point is high on the side pillar. In the picture above, the diagonal belt will be tight against the neck instead of across the collarbone. It's perfect for a 4-point harness, but not for a 3-point one.

The best place to put the upper fixing is on the upright of the roll bar, on the inside (assuming the roll bar is strong enough, obviously).

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Originally posted by swanny
can i ask why you swapped to those belts?

just curious, and wondered about doing similar for my kids

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