Question:
>I have been waiting for my son to hit 20 lb (approximately), by which >time he will have outgrown his rear-facing infant carrier seat. I have >plans to purchase the forward-facing one-way car seat to provide the >maximum safety for his weight.
I could have it wrong, but our Pediatrician told us to wait until a year old with established head and neck control before we moved our daughter (who was 20 lbs by 4 months) to a front facing seat and now they have told us the same for my son (6months, 20 lbs) I would like to know if it isn’t necessary to be rear facing because it is a HUGE pain in the neck for us to get him in and out. Lisa
Response:
Sorry. It *is* necessary. –Janet Triplets, 10/21/96 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have been waiting for my son to hit 20 lb (approximately), by which >time he will have outgrown his rear-facing infant carrier seat. I have >plans to purchase the forward-facing one-way car seat to provide the >maximum safety for his weight. >I could have it wrong, but our Pediatrician told us to wait until a year old >with established head and neck control before we moved our daughter (who was 20 >lbs by 4 months) to a front facing seat and now they have told us the same for >my son (6months, 20 lbs) >I would like to know if it isn’t necessary to be rear facing because it is a >HUGE pain in the neck for us to get him in and out. >Lisa
Response:
No offense… but would you rather have to go through the pain of getting him in and out of the car seat or the pain of having him hurt because he was forward facing when he should’ve been rear facing?? Better safe than sorry. Lisa Mom to Kelsey (2) — Visit my website… http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/9283/
Response:
I don’t understand how the child’s head and neck control can have ANYTHING to do with their safety in an accident. I don’t think ANYONE can control their head & neck in any accident. Just take a look at the crash dummies. Have you ever seen them with a controlled neck? My daughter would have been over 18 months old before she was out of an infant seat if I followed these guidelines because she was so small. She is still very small for her age (size of a 3 yr old at 5 1/2 yrs). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have been waiting for my son to hit 20 lb (approximately), by which >time he will have outgrown his rear-facing infant carrier seat. I have >plans to purchase the forward-facing one-way car seat to provide the >maximum safety for his weight. > I could have it wrong, but our Pediatrician told us to wait until a year old > with established head and neck control before we moved our daughter (who was 20 > lbs by 4 months) to a front facing seat and now they have told us the same for > my son (6months, 20 lbs) > I would like to know if it isn’t necessary to be rear facing because it is a > HUGE pain in the neck for us to get him in and out. > Lisa
Response:
: I don’t understand how the child’s head and neck control can have ANYTHING to : do with their safety in an accident. I don’t think ANYONE can control their : head & neck in any accident. Just take a look at the crash dummies. Have you : ever seen them with a controlled neck? My daughter would have been over 18 : months old before she was out of an infant seat if I followed these guidelines : because she was so small. She is still very small for her age (size of a 3 yr : old at 5 1/2 yrs). In this case, I don’t think ‘control’ means that you have to be able to completely stop your head from coming forward in an accident–I agree that’s pretty much impossible for anyone to do. However, babies’ heads are large and heavy and their necks are weak compared to adults and older children. I think the additional neck strength keeps the head from snapping forward with sufficient force to cause injury. If I understand the physics involved, in a head-on collision, the forces exerted will push a rear-facing baby’s head against the car seat rather than cause it to snap forward as it would if they were sitting front-facing. As for waiting until 18 months, I believe that’s exactly what Janet said she did for her daughter, who was also small for her age. It’s a pain, I know–I’m looking forward to being able to turn my son’s car seat. He’s plenty big, but not quite 11 months old. I just don’t think convenience is worth the risk. Laura Uerling FGC Stefan, Caretaker of the Secret Cove FGC Alexis, Member: SWATCH, LEFT-OFF "Flashbacks…boring…losing…consciousness.." The Tick (paraphrase)
Response:
>As for waiting until 18 months, I believe that’s exactly what Janet said >she did for her daughter, who was also small for her age. It’s a pain, I >know–I’m looking forward to being able to turn my son’s car seat. He’s >plenty big, but not quite 11 months old. I just don’t think convenience >is worth the risk.
Yup. That’s what we did. She was just about 18 months. –Janet Triplets (10/21/96)
Response:
>Car seat manufacturers may use that as requirement, but the AAP doesn’t. >No need, I guess–all 1 year olds I know of can certainly sit up well.
My daughter learned to sit at just under 11 months (about a week *after* she learned to crawl …). Could *not* sit up well at 12 months. I put it down to the absence of any discernible padding on her rear end. It was more comfortable for her to lie on her back and look at stuff. For weight reasons, she was in the carrier-type car seat, rear-facing, until she was over 18 months. Just thought I’d mention it … –Janet Triplets (10/21/96)
Response:
> <snip> >I was lead to believe that once they weigh 20 pounds, regardless of age, the >can face front. What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 >pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem. > It is more than just weight. The age guideline is to make sure that the > child’s neck and back have developed to the point where the weight of the head > will not cause whiplash in the event of a sudden stop.
That’s right. Also, age and weight guidelines are not absolute, but based on minimum safety or legal requirements. A child is safer in a rear facing childseat than in a front facing childseat in most accidents. After age one, it’s generally impractical to use a rear facing seat. Children are also safer in a childseat past the age of 4 or 40 pounds or whatever your state’s requirement is. Booster seats for those under 60 pounds are generally safer than a seatbelt alone, since a seatbelt may not provide a proper fit. Back seats are generally safer for older children as well as younger, and also safer for adults in most cases. A possible exception exists in some vehicles that lack shoulder belts in the rear, but it would vary based on the vehicle and circumstances. State legislatures will do what society will accept as reasonable. In reality, for the average person the risk of death from an auto accident is so low, that a seatbelt usage isn’t likely to make a difference on a given trip. When you multiply it by the number of trips and the number of vehicles on the road, it makes a HUGE difference. It also saves a HUGE number of lives. So having your daughter in a forward facing seat at 7 months did not have a significant increase in likelihood of injury. But if all 7 month old children were in rear facing seats in the back seat, the overall safety would be better. Even if you had been in a typical fender bender, the forward seat may not have been an issue. But you can never be too careful.
Response:
>What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 >pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem.
However, if you got into an accident, it would have mattered greatly! Without good head and neck control, they should be kept rear facing until atleast one year. Lisa
Response:
: >>What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 : >>pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem. : >> : >However, if you got into an accident, it would have mattered greatly! : >Without good head and neck control, they should be kept rear facing until : >atleast one year. : I’m sorry, but this doesn’t exactly make sense. When purchasing a car : seat for children from 20 to 48 lbs, the available seats are all : one-way–forward facing. The only time I see a convertible seat is : when you are trying to bridge the under 20 lb child seat with the over : 20 lb child. (This by the way would seem to be a ‘compromise’). I’m not sure what you mean by this. Convertible seats are appropriate for larger infants to larger toddlers up to 40 lbs. Most of the people I know use convertible seats from the time their infant outgrows an infant carrier until the child is big enough for a booster type seat. This is in the US, and I see you are from Canada, so maybe more people buy the forward-facing only seats there, but here I think it’s much more common to buy a convertible seat. : I have been waiting for my son to hit 20 lb (approximately), by which : time he will have outgrown his rear-facing infant carrier seat. I have : plans to purchase the forward-facing one-way car seat to provide the : maximum safety for his weight. : If I have this all wrong, please let me know. If your son hits 20 lbs before he is a year old, you are *not* providing the maximum safety for his weight, at least according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. As lmordo says above, research has shown that infants under a year usually don’t have the neck and back strength necessary to prevent injury when seated forward facing. The AAP recommends that a child be 1 year old *and* weigh 20 lbs before put in a forward facing position. I can give you the AAP website address if you wish, or you could contact the Canadian equivalent of the AAP to find out what their recommendation is. By the way, if you think your child will weigh 20 lbs before his first birthday and you do decide to buy a convertible seat, be sure to check the weight limit in the rear-facing position. Many convertible seats are only rated for 20 or 22 lbs rear-facing, so you’ll need to look for one (and there are some out there) that can be used up to 30 lbs. rear-facing. Laura Uerling
Response:
Thanks, I really had no idea that age mattered. This is the first time I have heard of it. I will definitely keep my son rear facing longer than I did my daughter!! Thanks again for all who responded to my response!! Jeannie ~Mom of Emily 11/96 and Garrett 11/98~ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ><snip> >I was lead to believe that once they weigh 20 pounds, regardless of age, the >can face front. What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 >pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem. >It is more than just weight. The age guideline is to make sure that the >child’s neck and back have developed to the point where the weight of the head >will not cause whiplash in the event of a sudden stop. >Ivy Shafer, mama to Martha (8/7/92), Molly (2/21/97), and ? (due 8/15/99)
Response:
OK- Found the owners instructions on my car seat and it had a couple things worth mentioning. One was about the overhead shields (which also include abdominal pads or arm rests if the baby’s face could touch them during a crash). It stated that a baby who’s shoulder to rump length is less than 9 inches should not ride in a car seat with any of the above mentioned devises. For my particular car seat, toddlers 30-40 lbs and 32 to 40 inches must be forward facing. Which, for my son meant that he would have had to be forward facing before a year old according to the car seat makers. Toddlers could be rear facing from 20-30 pounds and 27-32 inches as long as their feet don’t touch the seat. My son reached this point at a little over six months (his feet touched the back seat of our van). Again, this is just for my car seat (Century SmartMove) so don’t hold it as gospel! I think maybe there needs to be a push for safer car seats for big kids! Liz The overhead shield is dangerous for babies whos – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >: There are more guidelines than just age/weight that you need to take into >: consideration when buying a car seat and deciding which way to face it! Our >: Century SmartMove has guidelines for both weight and height. My son outgrew >: the height requirement for rear facing at a little over 6 months (his feet >: touched the back of the seat) and was well out of the minimum weight >: requirement. >I had (and have) the same problem with my son. We stopped using his >infant seat well before he hit 20 lbs. because he was too long for it. >We have a Evenflo Horizon now, which is rated to 30 lbs. rear-facing. He >may get to be too long for *that* before he hits a year. I asked my ped >about it, and she said that it’s a choice between possible leg injuries >or neck injuries in a crash, so I’m keeping him rear-facing even if he >gets a little too big. >: Of course, he’d also been sitting up since about 5 months which >: is also one of the requirements for forward facing. >Car seat manufacturers may use that as requirement, but the AAP doesn’t. >No need, I guess–all 1 year olds I know of can certainly sit up well. >: I love our carseat! You >: can use it rear facing up to 30 pounds (I think… I can’t find the booklet >: on it right now… ugh I need to update my filing system!) and front facing >: up to 40 pounds. It has multiple tilt adjustments (for front and rear >: facing) and can be used from birth on. It also has the five point harness >: system and no overhead front shield. I read in consumer reports that front >: shields are harmful to young children (during an accident small babies crash >: into them doing more damage than good). I also found with our son during >: testing out car seats that the front shields were just really uncomfortable >: for him! I’m not sure how it works in Canada, but here in the States there >: are multiple consumer reports books on baby items. Find one and look at how >: various car seats are rated. The Century SmartMove was one of the number one >: car seats when were buying (only a year or so ago). You can probably find >: consumer reports online if you look around! >The Horizon has a 5-point harness, which I know is safer, but it does >take longer to get him in and out of it. (We had a older ‘T-shield’ >model for my daughter.) >I second your recommendation for Consumer Reports…they do more >thorough crash-testing of car seats than the government does, and found >problems with some that passed government inspection. (The government >doesn’t test seats with the maximum allowed weight. CU does, and found >that several failed when used with dummies right at the weight limit.) >Consumer Reports sells a great book called "The Guide to Baby Products" >that I heartily recommend. They are *very* safety conscious, and give >good suggestions on what features to look for in baby products like car >seats, cribs, strollers, etc. >P.S. No, I don’t work for them! >Laura Uerling
Response:
: There are more guidelines than just age/weight that you need to take into : consideration when buying a car seat and deciding which way to face it! Our : Century SmartMove has guidelines for both weight and height. My son outgrew : the height requirement for rear facing at a little over 6 months (his feet : touched the back of the seat) and was well out of the minimum weight : requirement. I had (and have) the same problem with my son. We stopped using his infant seat well before he hit 20 lbs. because he was too long for it. We have a Evenflo Horizon now, which is rated to 30 lbs. rear-facing. He may get to be too long for *that* before he hits a year. I asked my ped about it, and she said that it’s a choice between possible leg injuries or neck injuries in a crash, so I’m keeping him rear-facing even if he gets a little too big. : Of course, he’d also been sitting up since about 5 months which : is also one of the requirements for forward facing. Car seat manufacturers may use that as requirement, but the AAP doesn’t. No need, I guess–all 1 year olds I know of can certainly sit up well. : I love our carseat! You : can use it rear facing up to 30 pounds (I think… I can’t find the booklet : on it right now… ugh I need to update my filing system!) and front facing : up to 40 pounds. It has multiple tilt adjustments (for front and rear : facing) and can be used from birth on. It also has the five point harness : system and no overhead front shield. I read in consumer reports that front : shields are harmful to young children (during an accident small babies crash : into them doing more damage than good). I also found with our son during : testing out car seats that the front shields were just really uncomfortable : for him! I’m not sure how it works in Canada, but here in the States there : are multiple consumer reports books on baby items. Find one and look at how : various car seats are rated. The Century SmartMove was one of the number one : car seats when were buying (only a year or so ago). You can probably find : consumer reports online if you look around! The Horizon has a 5-point harness, which I know is safer, but it does take longer to get him in and out of it. (We had a older ‘T-shield’ model for my daughter.) I second your recommendation for Consumer Reports…they do more thorough crash-testing of car seats than the government does, and found problems with some that passed government inspection. (The government doesn’t test seats with the maximum allowed weight. CU does, and found that several failed when used with dummies right at the weight limit.) Consumer Reports sells a great book called "The Guide to Baby Products" that I heartily recommend. They are *very* safety conscious, and give good suggestions on what features to look for in baby products like car seats, cribs, strollers, etc. P.S. No, I don’t work for them! Laura Uerling
Response:
>Children are supposed to be kept rear facing until they are one year old, >even if they are already 20 lbs. Our 6 month old is 20 lbs. or more and has >outgrown his seat but none of the car seats in Canada are rated past 22lbs. >rear facing. Anyone have any ideas?
I was lead to believe that once they weigh 20 pounds, regardless of age, the can face front. What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem. Jeannie ~Mom of Emily 11/96 and Garrett 11/98~
Response:
<snip> >I was lead to believe that once they weigh 20 pounds, regardless of age, the >can face front. What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed 20 >pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem.
It is more than just weight. The age guideline is to make sure that the child’s neck and back have developed to the point where the weight of the head will not cause whiplash in the event of a sudden stop. Ivy Shafer, mama to Martha (8/7/92), Molly (2/21/97), and ? (due 8/15/99)
Response:
: <snip> : >I was lead to believe that once they weigh 20 pounds, regardless of age, : >the can face front. What does age matter any way??? My daughter weighed : >20 pounds by 6-7 months and she faced front, no problem. : It is more than just weight. The age guideline is to make sure that the : child’s neck and back have developed to the point where the weight of the : head will not cause whiplash in the event of a sudden stop. It’s ‘no problem’ if you don’t get in an accident. If you are unlucky enough to get into a serious accident, a 6 or 7 month old is likely to be more seriously injured front-facing than rear-facing since as Lpshafar noted above, their neck and back strength is not sufficient to prevent the head from snapping forward. This is not a trivial concern; my pediatrician knows of a case where an 11 month old baby broke her neck during an accident where she was in a front-facing car seat. (The baby recovered) The AAP recommends (and has since my 4 1/2 year old daughter was a baby) that babies stay rear-facing until they are at least 1 year old *and* 20 lbs in weight. The AAP has been getting some bad press here, but this is one area where I think a parent would be very foolish *not* to follow their recommendations. Laura Uerling
Response:
I had concerns with car safety seats also. My children are all very thin (it’s genetic). I always thought weight, not age, should be the deciding factor when it comes to car safety seat arrangements. In one case, my daughter did not hit 40 pounds until she was in second grade. I wanted her to use a booster seat until she hit the 40 pound mark. However, when she joined the brownies (first grade) and they were going on field trips, she was the only one still in a booster seat. I usually am not one to give in to the "be like everyone else" philosophy, but she felt strongly about this, so I relented. She came out of the booster seat at 36 pounds (6 1/2 years old). In the other case, my younger daughter didn’t hit 20 pounds until she was about 14 or 15 months old. The problem was that she was so tall, even at one year and only 17 to 18 pounds, that a rear facing car seat caused her legs to be bent uncomfortably just to fit in the space available. I ended up turning her seat around before she hit 20 pound marker. My son is approaching his fourth birthday and weighs 30 pounds. So far, he is happy in his booster seat (he can see all the trucks on the road and the trains next to the road). I hope he stays happy with it, since, according to his weight, he should be in it for a while yet. ~Jan
Response:
There are more guidelines than just age/weight that you need to take into consideration when buying a car seat and deciding which way to face it! Our Century SmartMove has guidelines for both weight and height. My son outgrew the height requirement for rear facing at a little over 6 months (his feet touched the back of the seat) and was well out of the minimum weight requirement. Of course, he’d also been sitting up since about 5 months which is also one of the requirements for forward facing. I love our carseat! You can use it rear facing up to 30 pounds (I think… I can’t find the booklet on it right now… ugh I need to update my filing system!) and front facing up to 40 pounds. It has multiple tilt adjustments (for front and rear facing) and can be used from birth on. It also has the five point harness system and no overhead front shield. I read in consumer reports that front shields are harmful to young children (during an accident small babies crash into them doing more damage than good). I also found with our son during testing out car seats that the front shields were just really uncomfortable for him! I’m not sure how it works in Canada, but here in the States there are multiple consumer reports books on baby items. Find one and look at how various car seats are rated. The Century SmartMove was one of the number one car seats when were buying (only a year or so ago). You can probably find consumer reports online if you look around! Liz
Response:
Children are supposed to be kept rear facing until they are one year old, even if they are already 20 lbs. Our 6 month old is 20 lbs. or more and has outgrown his seat but none of the car seats in Canada are rated past 22lbs. rear facing. Anyone have any ideas?
Response:
We have an Evenflo Trooper. It is both a rearfacing and front facing car seat that goes from 5 lbs to 40 pounds. I assume that it can be used rearfacing up to a year no matter how many pounds the baby is. My daughter was 22 pounds at a 11-12 months and it was still facing rear. I would look into one of those. They aren’t as good for very small babies. My son was really tiny so I used one that was always rearfacing. Do an online search for them and I bet even if you can’t find one at the stores you can probably order it online. — Kandee M. Wright Web Site Developer http://www.alphalinx.com/ http://www.alphalinx.com/~kandee
: :Children are supposed to be kept rear facing until they are one year old, :even if they are already 20 lbs. Our 6 month old is 20 lbs. or more and has 
utgrown his seat but none of the car seats in Canada are rated past 22lbs. :rear facing. Anyone have any ideas? : :
Response:
There is a little info on Car Seats at: www.rainbowplay.co.uk/yourchild/index.htm See Car Safety. Not sure about what happens in Canada though. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Children are supposed to be kept rear facing until they are one year old, >even if they are already 20 lbs. Our 6 month old is 20 lbs. or more and has >outgrown his seat but none of the car seats in Canada are rated past 22lbs. >rear facing. Anyone have any ideas?
Response:
We kept our son in a rear facing seat until he was about 8 months old. (He was 20lbs at 4 months!) We stopped using the infant seat at about 4 months and switched to a rear dacing "convertable" car seat (Fisher Price). It worked well for us. I had heard that it was important to have the child rear facing until he/she was strong enough to sit up on his/her own and had good neck control. We were advised to have him rear facing as long as possible. However, we ended up switching him around at 8 months because his legs were getting too long for the rear facing seat. I’d definately recommend the Fisher Price convertable car seat used rear facing for as long as possible. Deirdre – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Children are supposed to be kept rear facing until they are one year old, > even if they are already 20 lbs. Our 6 month old is 20 lbs. or more and has > outgrown his seat but none of the car seats in Canada are rated past 22lbs. > rear facing. Anyone have any ideas?
Response:
>Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before >allowing them to ride in the car
I think it varies from state to state…In my state (Maine) they have to be 4 years old. Most states have laws in place… Jackie "Single parent…..who not only is happy about it, but proud of it…."
Response:
> Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before > allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? > Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
If what you’re looking for is the legal requirements, that varies from state to state. Most (US) states have 4 years or 40 lbs, as the rule. Some states require one and not the other (In VA, a child must be 4, regardless of weight). Others require that both be met. Still others have different requirements entirely. But the legal answer is not always the safest one. A child is safest in a booster seat until he/she is big enough for both the lap and shoulder belts to fit properly–for most kids, this is somewhere around 6, earlier if your child is particularly tall, later if he/she is short. Phan– mom to Keith (4) and Jack (Due 2-98)
Response:
In Ohio, they must be 4 years AND 40 pounds. Both must be achieved before using a seat belt alone!
Response:
> Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before > allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? > Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
Actual law varies from state to state. If you are uncertain, you can call your state’s highway patrol or department of public safety to find out what your state’s regulations specify. However, most car seats are designed to hold a child up to 40 pounds. Some go as high as 60. From a practical standpoint, a child’s age is just too arbitrary. Your child is not aided by the use of seat belts and shoulder restraints at all below forty pounds. If your child is short, even weight cannot be used as a guide. Bottom line: until your child is large enough to be safely protected by the restraining devices in the back seat of your car, you should continue using a protective seat of some kind. Good luck! — Charles I. Letbetter, Editor CATCH Online Magazine http://www.pagebrothers.com A new way of looking at parenting
Response:
I don’t know about the booster but regular car seat is 4yrs or 40lbs. — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before > allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? > Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
Response:
Frightening as this may seem. In the UK there is no law requiring the use of child seats at all! Common sense dictates that achild should use a car seat until such time as they can safely wear a seat belt. It is law that all occupants of cars where seat belts are fitted must wear them. This of course excludes cars built before the late 70’s that did not come with rear belts as standard. I heard an MP say here that to introduce a law requiring the use of car seats would put an unfair burden on the poorer end of society. As a parent I would argue if you can afford a car you can afford an appropriate car seat. If you are not sure of the law in your state may I suggest letting common sense prevail and using a suitable car seat until such time as your child is in your opinion physically safe in a seat belt. Steve Williams http://members.aol.com/sjw1963
Response:
>>Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before >allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? >Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
I am a CPR instructor through the American Heart Association. In our lectures, the AHA has instructed us to put out (as per California State law) that a child must be 4 years old AND 40 pounds. That means if the child turns 4, but is still not 40 pounds, he/she should be in a car seat. Along the same lines, a 42 pound 3 year old still has to be in a car seat too. That could just be in our state, though, but it seems like a good guide line. Jennifer, Katelyn’s mom – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
>I am a CPR instructor through the American Heart Association. In our >lectures, the AHA has instructed us to put out (as per California >State law) that a child must be 4 years old AND 40 pounds. That >means if the child turns 4, but is still not 40 pounds, he/she should >be in a car seat. Along the same lines, a 42 pound 3 year old still >has to be in a car seat too. That could just be in our state, though, >but it seems like a good guide line. >Jennifer, Katelyn’s mom
That is our state law as well. But what is the purpose? Why 4 years AND 40 lbs. What is the intellectual reason for 4 years as opposed to 3 years? (I understand the 40 lbs part) A few years ago, I had received a ticket for not having my 3 year old child in a car seat. At that time, our law was 4 years or 40 lbs. The reason I didn’t have her in a car seat was because she would climb out of it while we were in mid traffic. It was right after a 2 hour trip to her grandmothers took 5+ hours because I was having to stop ever 20 minutes to put her back into her car seat. She was much happier sitting in the regular seat with the regular seat belt. I had to make the decision about which would be safer. I chose the regular seat with the regular seat belt. She was at least 40 lbs anyway. When I went to court to fight the ticket, I pointed out the safety factor, and brought into evidence the child seat law. The judge *reluctantly* ruled in my favor, and the next year the law was changed to 4 AND 40. (I really resent that my parenting decisions about the safety of my child had to be judged in this manner) Take care Gretchen
Response:
Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
Response:
I was told once by a police officer is that the childs eyes need to be able to see out of the side window while sitting. but i think the age is 4. but i am not real sure about that.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before >allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? >Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
Response:
>Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before >allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? >Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
I’m told that it’s not done by weight but by age. Until the age of 4, they need to be in some kind of child car seat – booster or car seat. Have I been misinformed? Linda
Response:
> >Does anyone know the appropriate age or weight a child must be before >allowing them to ride in the car with out a car seat or booster seat? >Kim (Michael and Ashley’s mom)
Here in Ontario Canada, the following car seats are the law (I think it’s the law, and not just the manufacturer’s recommendations, but I might be mistaken): Infant – rear facing car seat – 0 to 20 lbs Older Infant and Toddler – front facing car seat – 20 to 40 lbs Booster seat – 40 to 60 lbs. After the child reaches 60 lbs he/she can be seated in the car without a car seat or booster seat, only the regular seat belt. — With good intent (usually!), Lynn. "To age is easy. To age gracefully takes some effort." Sally Huss Hope this helps,
Response:
>Whats the hurry? So the child is facing back? The point I am trying to >make is always use what you believe to be true in a situation like >this.
Abolutely! So what does the law have to do with doing the right thing in a situation??? 99.99% of laws are either useless or restrict people from doing the right thing. >Sure always obey the laws and listen to your doctors advice in >the matter, but if the law and your doctor say it’s ok, what do you >think?
My son just turned two, and he’s only 22lbs, so he would *barely* scrape over if I follow law. I’ve heard talk that they might up it to 25 lbs, but I’ll be damned if I put a 2yo in an infant seat facing backwards. Z
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