The latest changes to the UK car seat regulations have caused some confusion. I have heard several people talking about it and I know some people are still unsure of the changes.
If people have a current car seat they wonder if they can continue to use it. I also have friends who have saved their car seats from a previous baby and they are wondering whether they will be all right to use them with their new addition.
Bow is still in the stage 0+ car seat. I know that Bob moved onto the next stage and started to face forward when she was around 9 months old. Bow is 9 months old now but I am not sure when to change his car seat or which type to get.
Even though Bob is 5 she has only just stopped using a 5 point harness. I had an accident when she was 18 months old where my car rolled. It was very scary and the 5 point harness saved her. When she outgrew her last car seat and was ready for a booster seat I bought one that could be used with and without a 5 point harness.
She has grown quite a lot recently and the harness was becoming uncomfortable so she now uses the car seat belt with a high back booster. She has been asking to have a seat like some of her friends but I was pretty sure the backless booster seat was now classed as unsafe. I was unsure of the new regulations so I decided to read up on them.
Although there has been a lot of discussion about the safety of backless car seats, no law has yet been passed. Also if the law was to change it would only apply to new products. If you are currently using a car seat you would not need to change it, unless you felt that you should. I am glad that I now know this as I was on the verge of telling my brother in law that he needed to change the backless booster seat that he uses for my niece.
I have also discovered that in 2013 the regulations changed. Children are now required to have a rear facing car seat until they are 15 months old. The law hasn’t changed yet but it is strongly advised and will probably become compulsory around 2018. In a forward facing car seat a baby’s head would be thrown forward in an accident but in a rear facing one their head is protected and the impact is spread over a greater area.
Bow is 9 months old and he is a chunky monkey. I don’t think our current car seat will last much longer. Now I have researched into the advice and regulations I feel more equipped to start shopping for his next car seat. I now need to decide whether to buy a car seat that can face both ways or to leave Bow in the rear facing position until he is 4. If any of you have any experience with either of these types of car seat please let me know.
This is a collaborative post.
It’s all so confusing isn’t it. Everything has changed so much in so little time about carseats
Really useful advice thanks – it can be hard to keep up with the laws!
My three all have booster seats at the moment.
Such a useful post – legislation can change so quickly!
It is a minefield, but I found the staff at Halfords to be very knowledgeable and helpful.
I don’t know much about the car seat regulations but my nephew has been in forward facing car seat for a while now.
That accident must have been so scary for you and your family! I’m sorry.
Very useful advice though, thank you
The regulations are probably different here. We had regular car seats and had them face the rear. You can’t be too careful.
My younger two are still in car seats. It’s good to know that I don’t have to change them.
This is interesting to read. I am 6 months pregnant, so I have all this to read up on.
Good to know about these changes. I’m sure a lot of parents aren’t clued up on this and I’m not sure how one would go about informing them!
I didn’t realise it had even changed – everything is so confusing!
The regulations are always changing. I do find it hard to keep up.
As someone without children, I feel as though I need a degree to understand all of this most of the time, who knew there was so much to learn and to stay on top of changes too x
Good luck shopping for your next car seat – it sure can be a mine field. I’m a trained car seat fitter – rear facing until 4 years (18kg) is really so important. As is ditching the backless booster which won’t help at all in an accident! H x
Good on you for letting people know about the changes to the regulations, it’ll really help a lot of people xxx