this is all pretty complicated - common sense seems the best approach to me
Car seats and new regulations

Car seats and new regulations

It’s the law in all 50 states that babies under 18 months should be restrained in a child safety seat when traveling in a car.   The majority of states also have laws requiring that under-3s use seats. It’s advisable to stick to these laws – if you don’t, you could be risking your child’s life. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures indicate that around 392 children under the age of five who were involved in car accidents in 2006 survived because they were restrai . . .

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claireyBaby
Reply claireyBaby 5 months ago
hi there, i have got a small c2 and it has 3 doors. my nefu is 8months old and has a huge car seat.. its the biggest i have ever seen lol it fits thru just fine and nice at an angle!! xx
Farooha00
Reply Farooha00 6 months ago
Thanks for the responses to my earlier question.
I was intending to get a car seat for our stay but it was the journey home from the airport that I was worried about. We will be picked up by family and not travelling in a taxi. Still think I am not exempt?
I had wanted to get a car seat online but am worried about it not fitting in the back seat my little 3-door car!
elainecook
Reply elainecook 6 months ago
Hiya. I am a Police Officer. The law only states that you must be in a relevant car seat for your child's age and weight up to the age of 12yrs OR 4ft5inch tall. It doesn't stipulate about when to move from forward/rear facing car seats. This is usually done through manufacturers recommendation. I think the rule of thumb should be if your child's head is above the top of the car seat move to a forward facing to give the support. Long legs shouldn't count. Otherwise wait until your child is 9kg.
Also you can be excempt from using a car seat ONLY if you have an unexpected journey and do not have a car seat available. This should only be for a short distance. An example being if you had to pickup an additional child from school/nursery as a result from an unexpected request from the parent. There are no exceptions.
Hope this helps.
gomac1975
Reply gomac1975 6 months ago
I agree with Joannakate, you wouldn't be exempt even though you're travelling from abroad, where regulations might be different. Might be worth trying to borrow one from someone, rather than face the risk or fine.
Joannakate
Reply Joannakate 6 months ago
No you wouldnt be exempt, is there anyone you can borrow one from?
Farooha00
Reply Farooha00 6 months ago
Hi,
does anybody know if you are exempt when you are visiting from abroad and have not yet had a chance to get a car seat? My daughter is under 3 and we won't be coming home from the airport in a taxi but with family.
Exempt or not exempt??
carlabeech
Reply carlabeech 8 months ago
i had to do a fair bit of research into car seats due to my son being a pound and a half at birth. If we had stuck to the guidelines he would only just be moving into a forward facing carseat aged 2 years 7 months! I had to speak to a highway code office who told me that forward facing car seats haven't been tested on babies under 20 pounds (9kg) so it's hard to say what is best. They said that the child must be able to sit up for at least 10 minutes before going into a forward facing (something to do with neck strength). He advised that backwards facing are much safer and it's better that a child has broken toes from being too long than a broken neck or back from a forward facing crash that propels them forward. Apparantly the strongest part on a baby to deal with the force of a crash is their back.

I've been contemplating moving my 7 month old into a seat as she's 21 pounds (yes more than my 2 yr old!) and getting bored of staring at the back seat but the neck strength issue worries me so I think I'm going to wait for at least another month. Better safe than sorry.
natfost75
Reply natfost75 9 months ago
Can anyone advise if there is a universal car seat, neither myself nor my husband drive, and my little boy has nearly outgrown the car seat that came with the travel system, however we will need one for travelling with family and friends?
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