Booster seat laws - OR NOT.

[EllasMum]

This should probably be a Bitching Post. Grr. I am disgusted that Alberta (among others!) does not have a booster seat law. This CBC story horrifies me - only 30% of kids who should use booster seats, do? Yikes.

I was just talking about this issue with my BFF. Her son's friend and the friend's brother are 8 and 5 years old - NEITHER ride in a car seat, because, in the words of their mother, "There's no law." HELLO? You would deliberately put your child at potential risk just because there's no law?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/...en-safety.html

[NewfieNat]

Hmmm. I DO think AB should have a booster seat law. I can't imagine my 7 year old not sitting in a booster. I just began to let him (rarely) ride in a low-back booster in a car with side impact air bags. The vast majority of the time it's a high back and he thinks it's great.

[This should go in the bitching post as well, and is in no way directed at you, Susan]

Playing devil's advocate, I am glad here in AB they don't ticket for kids 6+. My 4.5 year old DD is still in a harness, and will be until she begins grade one. She will then be 6.75, and except in case of a miracle, will not be 40 lbs (currently 27). Of course I will use a well-fitting high-back booster for many years after that but I will not make her go to grade one in a harness. Yes, I know it's against the law. But other parents break laws too. They may rear-face beyond height limits because they feel it's safe to do so, they may speed 10+ kms over the limit, etc. I am not perfect but neither is anybody else.

I may get flamed, but now that my youngest is 4.5, it's ok if I have to step away from the boards.

[EllasMum]

Nope, no flames from me, Nat. My DD is 5.75, and just finishing kindergarten, and I will be removing the harness from her Frontier, this weekend. Like you, I will be keeping her in the high-back booster as long as I can. (She is also 57 pounds and 52 inches... yes, she could stay in a harness for a while - I think? Rushing off to check Britax website- LOL)

My big issue is with people who should use a car seat (not necessarily boosters), and instead use NO carseat... you are being responsible and continuing to use the boosters! FWIW, I feel the same way as you - technically, DD could continue to be in a harnessed seat, but I will remove the harness and use the regular seatbelt with the booster. I am all about safety, and am comfortable with the decision to remove the harness.

My BFF's DS was 7.5 and still riding in a harnessed seat, primarily because he was *very* short. BFF finally relented and let him ride in a booster because she could see he was not happy, and they made the decision, for their family, that it was ok to move him to a booster.

I really do feel that as long as a parent is making a *safe* choice, they should not be looked down upon for that choice. My main beef is with people who choose *no car seat* over a booster. Sigh.