Car Seats

[biggambler1]

What are the state laws in Florida for childern age 5yrs, do they have to have a booster seat/chair for the car or is a seat belt ok?

Thanks

 

[cathyce2]

Here you go....

All children 5 years of age or younger must be properly restrained no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child safety seat, or a safety belt may be used. (FL Statute 316.613).

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/HighwaySafetyGrantProgram/hsgp/HSGPAreas_OccupantFAQ.htm#Florida's%20Child

 

[thunderbug548]

It's not about laws, it's about lives.

Florida laws are awful when it comes to child safety seat. No 5yr old is big enough to fit properly in a regular seatbelt. If you are contemplating bringing a booster, please do! Even a backless is better than nothing. http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm

 

[all4fun]

It's not about laws, it's about lives.

Florida laws are awful when it comes to child safety seat. No 5yr old is big enough to fit properly in a regular seatbelt. If you are contemplating bringing a booster, please do! Even a backless is better than nothing. http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm

I agree. Watch this video by Safekids and GM motors in cooperations with the Hip Hop group Slum Village about booster seat use
http://gmtv.feedroom.com/?fr_story=6c7aca22134fc2d298d662e074b90956fcba3aa8&rf=sitemap
and you will see why.

Boosters are fairly inexpensive. Children under 40lbs ideally should be in a harness seat but if not, a high back booster is not that expensive and there are several that the back can be removed or the booster can be folded which can make packing it for travel easier (if flying or using other "mass" transit, of course). Backless boosters provide bigger kids w/protection against internal injuries which can be caused by the seatbelt but should only be used if they vehicle seat is tall enough to provide head & neck support (whiplash protection) as well. In addition, High back boosters provide 70% more protection in a side impact than low back boosters.

hth!!

 

[bellastella227]

What about trusting the car seats from car rentals? We are going in October with our (then) 22 month old. We are flying her on our lap but undecided on bringing the car seat...DH says no, it is not necessary when we can rent. I say yes, how can we trust the car rental?

Thoughts???

 

[TinkerbellMama]

What about trusting the car seats from car rentals? We are going in October with our (then) 22 month old. We are flying her on our lap but undecided on bringing the car seat...DH says no, it is not necessary when we can rent. I say yes, how can we trust the car rental?

Thoughts???

I would never trust the car rental agency to supply a car seat. Even though they may do their best to provide what you need, would you really take that risk? We are HUGE car seat safety freaks here, and I can assure you that if I ever did show up at a car rental place, relying on their car seat, and it was not suitable...I'd make my dh wait for me there and take a cab to go buy one before we'd drive anywhere. My child's life is too precious to me to take the chance!

 

[thunderbug548]

Def bring your own or buy a cheapy (not sure what seat you have or how big dd is). You can get a Scenera for $40 at Walmart (goes to 40lbs). You may spend more than that on renting one. The thing with rentals is you don't what may have happened to it- puke, pee, spills, dropped, etc. I wouldn't trust it.

 

[LilGMom]

The gov't recommendation for kids is also that a child shoudl be at least 4'9" before no longer using a booster seat. As far as trusting a rental car companies carseats? If I absolutely had to I would use a rental car company's booster seats but I don't know that I'd use one of their rear-facing or toddler seats. While on one hand they probably inspect their carseat periodically due to liability issues they can't know how the people renting their cars have handled the carseats (dropping, throwing, etc.).

My ds is turning 6 in a few weeks, is about 50 lbs. and about 49" tall and he still uses a high-back booster.