Anyone respect the child seat laws?

[ingenieur]

According to child seat law you have to keep them in a child seat until they're a teenager. Surely that can't be right?

If your child reaches 4 and a half foot in height before they are 12 then they are okay to sit in a normal adult seat.

If I had been sitting in a child seat going to secondary school when I was growing up what would the other kids have thought?

[Deesee]

Once they get to 135 cm (or 12 yrs old what ever is first) they use a normal seat and seat belt.

My 7 year old is 140cm.

[kambites]

ingenieur said:

If I had been sitting in a child seat going to secondary school when I was growing up what would the other kids have thought?

That you were extremely lazy, being driven to school?

Most children are 135cm before they are secondary school age anyway.

[bigandclever]

A 12 year old isn't a teenager. HTH.

[Bill]

ingenieur said:

If I had been sitting in a child seat going to secondary school when I was growing up what would the other kids have thought?

That it's entirely normal.

[ScoobyChris]

Deesee said:

Once they get to 135 cm (or 12 yrs old what ever is first) they use a normal seat and seat belt.

My 7 year old is 140cm.

My 8 year old just hit 135 cm but prefers to use the child seat as it means he can see out the windscreen (guess my seats must sit quite low then!).

Chris

[sociopath]

ingenieur said:

According to child seat law you have to keep them in a child seat until they're a teenager. Surely that can't be right?

If your child reaches 4 and a half foot in height before they are 12 then they are okay to sit in a normal adult seat.

If I had been sitting in a child seat going to secondary school when I was growing up what would the other kids have thought?

You're correct, that isn't right. Check the law again.

[vaud]

ScoobyChris said:

My 8 year old just hit 135 cm but prefers to use the child seat as it means he can see out the windscreen (guess my seats must sit quite low then!).

Chris

Mine hit 135 at 8 as well, but she prefers a "grown up seat" and always had her head in a book so not bothered about the view.

[Roger Irrelevant]

ingenieur said:

According to child seat law you have to keep them in a child seat until they're a teenager. Surely that can't be right?

Well...no it's not right. You yourself established it's not right immediately after you said this. The law essentially says that kids can use a normal adult seat as soon as they're big enough, with 'big enough' being deemed to be 135cm in height. In the unlikely event that they're still not big enough by 12, then they can use an adult seat anyway. Seems sensible enough to me.

[J4CKO]

Never strapped mine in, if they were it meant they couldnt reach the ashtray

[Earthdweller]

Bill said:

ingenieur said:

If I had been sitting in a child seat going to secondary school when I was growing up what would the other kids have thought?

That it's entirely normal.

Didn’t even have seatbelts in the back when I went to school!

But then again neither did the Leyland PD2 I went to school on… and that didn’t even have a door for the passengers!

[covmutley]

My youngest is 11 and in year 6. Hes just stopped using a booster. No idea if he is tall enough, but he seems to have outgrown it and be ok without it.

[snuffy]

I've just looked it up. Have I read it wrong, but to me it says if they sit in the back seat then the age is 3. It's only 12 or 135cm if they sit in the front.

[Mammasaid]

snuffy said:

I've just looked it up. Have I read it wrong, but to me it says if they sit in the back seat then the age is 3. It's only 12 or 135cm if they sit in the front.

Yes you have. Nothing about front or back seat.

Gov.uk said:

Using a child car seat or booster seat

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

Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

You can choose a child car seat based on your child’s height or weight.

[snuffy]

Mammasaid said:

snuffy said:

I've just looked it up. Have I read it wrong, but to me it says if they sit in the back seat then the age is 3. It's only 12 or 135cm if they sit in the front.

Yes you have. Nothing about front or back seat.

Gov.uk said:

Using a child car seat or booster seat

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

Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

You can choose a child car seat based on your child’s height or weight.

But it also says:

Gov.uk said:

When a child can travel without a car seat

A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn’t have one.

In most cases, children under 3 must always be in a child car seat.

[evil.edna]

J4CKO said:

Never strapped mine in, if they were it meant they couldnt reach the ashtray

You let them smoke in the car? I make mine put it out before they get in.

[vaud]

It's more to cover emergencies. You can ride in a taxi without a car seat as a 3 year old.

[sociopath]

snuffy said:

Mammasaid said:

snuffy said:

I've just looked it up. Have I read it wrong, but to me it says if they sit in the back seat then the age is 3. It's only 12 or 135cm if they sit in the front.

Yes you have. Nothing about front or back seat.

Gov.uk said:

Using a child car seat or booster seat

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

Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

You can choose a child car seat based on your child’s height or weight.

But it also says:

Gov.uk said:

When a child can travel without a car seat

A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn’t have one.

In most cases, children under 3 must always be in a child car seat.

i.e if the car doesn't have a seat belt. It's badly written but basically it covers classics etc that don't have seat belts installed

[snuffy]

vaud said:

It's more to cover emergencies. You can ride in a taxi without a car seat as a 3 year old.

Yes, it goes on to that about taxis and other vehicles like minibuses.

So in a normal car, the age is 3, if in the rear seats.

[Mammasaid]

snuffy said:

But it also says:

Gov.uk said:

When a child can travel without a car seat

A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesn’t have one.

In most cases, children under 3 must always be in a child car seat.

How many cars do you think are on the road older than 1986 and/or haven't had rear seat belts fitted, that are commonly used to transport children around?

I'd wager that it's probably < 0.1%