Question: Are there any safety reasons to keep DS in infant seat?

[knaidel]

My DS is almost 5 months old and still has a looooong time left in the Combi Tyro. However, I'm thinking of moving him to our Britax Roundabout as soon as he is able to sit up ( so I can put him in the cart at the grocery store.) Also, I have a friend due in the begining of July, and she's on a tight budget, so I'd love to lend her the seat. Is there any reason why I should keep him in the infant seat longer? (Ie- Statistically speaking infant seats are safer than convertible seats or something?)

Also, how come NO ONE (except people who read this board) keeps their kids RF after 1 year old? So many of my friends have toddlers who are definetly under 30 lbs, but are FF in their car seats.

[DebbieJ]

We moved my ds to his Marathon at 3 months. I'd say you're safe.

As for the FF--drives me bonkers!!! My aunt already has her 3 yo in a booster!!!

~ deb
DS 12/03
And a niece or nephew arriving in early August!

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[Splash]

At five months old there really is no significant safety difference. He can go to a convertible seat just fine.
Your friends have their kids FF because they are either ignorant or stupid. Some people think you *have* to turn a kid around at one... some people know you should leave them RF but want them FF for convenience. The former people are ignorant, the latter are stupid.
Kids prefer RF for the most part, and it is so much safer. It would be safer for YOU as well if it were an option. Think about it... you're driving fifty and come to a complete stop... your whole body is thrown forward at fifty miles an hour with a thousand pounds of force... YOU are an adult with strong bones. If you are a CHILD, with a LARGE head, your spine and neck absorb most of the force and you are likely to be injured.
IF you were RF, all that would happen is you would be pressed back into your seat, similar to how it feels going downhill on a roller coaster. Nothing would happen to you, you would be nice and safe in your little bubble. Now sure if you were rear ended you would fly forward a little... but there is a HUGE difference between going from a dead stop to 10 miles and hour because you got hit from the back... and going from sixty to zero because you hit a brick wall.
Keep him RF as long as possible. If one doesn't know it is safer and one turns a child FF, they would be ignorant. If one KNOWS and chooses to ignore it for whatever reason, it makes one stupid.
And I know TONS of people outside of this board who keep their kids RF as long as possible. And since the AAP recommends it until they have reached RF limits (but only makes it mandatory until age one... and it really isn't *mandatory* then), people should know better. And anyone who takes their seat to a tech to be installed will be informed of the risks they are taking by turning a small child FF.
Sorry to be harsh... but I have very strong feelings about people who put their kids at risk because it is more convenient than doing it the right way.
E