New UK law concerning booster seats.

rainbow baby ↓

Wed, Sep 06 2006, 7:40 am

So what do you think of the new law that is going to be introduced on the 18th September.

That children aged 3 to 11-12 or under 4ft 5ins (135cms tall) must go into a booster seat in the car.

Do you think this law is stupid, that it is so that more people can make money out of us, that the government is just interferring in another part of out lives.

Or

Do you think that it is right, it will save lives and improve safety on our roads.

Ambassador-to-KJ

Wed, Sep 06 2006, 2:28 pm

I don't know if age is what realy matters, its the person's height. The shorter they are the more likely thry are to sustain injury in an accident (the seatbelt can actualy hurt you if it doesnt lie on the right place on your chest too) Dh and I were on vacation and responded to a HORRIBLE accident ahead of us on the road. The car had pulled over to the side of the road and the mother had gotten out. Then another car hit them at full hiway speed, it was a very small car and was totaly crushed! The father was pinned in his seat and was bleeding (he had a fractured skull) They didnt even try to move him until the ambulances and helicopter came. There was a 7 or 8 year old girl in the back seat. BH she was sitting behind her mother otherwise she would have been crushed, I dont think she would have made it. But even being on the other side of the impact could have majorly injured her. They were able to get her out in 2 seconds and she was untouched! She was sitting in a high back booster seat and I'm sure this had something to do with the fact she sustained no injuries.

↑ rainbow baby ↓

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 2:28 am

SevenSenses wrote:

I think it's stupid.. I'm afraid that soon they're gonna have drivers sit in booster seats.. and 17 yr olds in booster seats..
I always thought that even 8 yr olds dont need booster seats.. but 11-12???

This is the UK you are talking about. Stupid law like quite a few others that have been passed lately, like closing hospitals, the education system or not, etc... the list goes on.

Here in Manchester like most other parts of the world there are some very rough areas, we have here the worst teenage pregnancy rates in Europe. We are talking about 11 year olds having babies. A bad drug, anti social behaviour and drinking problem. How on earth are this stupid government going to make these parents put the druggy 10 year olds in a booster seat when they cannot even get them to go to school?
Told you it was a stupid law!!!! Very Happy

Raisin

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 4:50 am

It is a good thing, (booster seats are not expensive) but can be a problem with frum families with lots of kids. Booster seats take up more space than a person alone, and even if say, you have seven seats (including 2 front seats where kids should not sit) in your car you may not be able to fit 5 booster seats and car seats.

I think it is a sensible law and will not be difficult for the typical 2 child family to implement.

Elle

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 4:57 am

This law has been enforced in israel for a while. It has been proved that carseats and boosters reduce the death rate in accidents, G-d forbid. I think its very sensible with all the terrible road accidents, but it is hard to enforce with the children. I have to fight with my 3 year old to strap up and he constantly clicks it open.

TzenaRena

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 5:19 am

Quote:

That children aged 3 to 11-12 or under 4ft 5ins (135cms tall) must go into a booster seat in the car.

I guess I'd have to go into the booster seat myself, since I'm under 4'5"! :?Whoops, I realize now that I read that wrong! I'm under 5'4" so no booster seat for me. Tongue Out

Last edited by TzenaRena on Thu, Sep 07 2006, 5:50 am; edited 1 time in total

Boys"R"Us

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 5:41 am

We just had a similar law passed, here in Canada. It requires children to be in a booster seat until certain height and/or weights OR 8 years old. I personally had been keeping my kids in boosters till then anyway once I understood how much safer it is. It caused a bit of commotion, with carpools etc. Parents here were used to keeping their kids in car seats until age 3, and then straight into the regular seat! Now you see boosters lined up outside the grade one classes. But most people comply - (fear of a fine!). I have 3 boosters in my carpool this year. The good thing is that since it is a law now, everyone is willing to accommodate and I know my little 1st & 2nd grade boys are sitting safely. Before, I always felt like it was asking too much, to ask mothers of older children to have boosters in their cars for my little ones.

mummy-bh

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 5:53 am

Rifky wrote:

I read that the government actually have included a caveat that says a family with 3 kids in the back will be exempt from putting the oldest child (so long as s/he is above the age of 3, I think) in a booster if there is not enough room in the back seat.

I think this is a very sensible law. It's one of those things that I always mention when playing the "if you were in charge of the country for a day" game. I HATE to see kids unrestrained in moving vehicles, it really bothers me that the parents seem to care so little for their childs basic safety.

I told my kids about the new laws, my 9 y.o daughter went into a real temper about it, "you won't get me to sit in a baby chair," etc. Then I measured her, and guess what, she is over 4'5"!!

↑ rainbow baby ↓

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 6:10 am

I think you have all got me wrong, yes I agree that children should be in car seats, in the back of my car I have two car seats and one booster. I've always put them in them. I just do not know why our dear government need to make a law out of it. Let's be honest how many people do you really think are going to conform. What the families down Cheetham Hill (For those people who live in Cheetham Hill well you would probably not want to go there to often.) No I do not think so they do not want to spend money on car seats when they can spend it on drugs. Okey I am tarring them all with the same brush but these are the children that need to be protected.
Let's look at our own Jewish community, how many people have ££ to splash out on boosters for let's say 5 kids. Driving around how many people in our community actually put there kids in the car with seatbelts on? How many of our community members do not drive around using their mobile phones, very few from what I've seen. The attitude of some of the community is that a Malach is watching over them and that nothing is ever going to happen to them.

mimsy7420

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 7:48 am

Why do they need to make a law out of it?
is that a serious question?
You know how many times I've seen kids standing up in the backseat while their parents are driving, hanging out the window, jumping up and down, whatever.
Maybe if they actually get a fine for it, people will understand the importance. If they just made it a recomendation, a lot of people wouldn't do it.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 7:57 am

mummy-bh wrote:

Rifky wrote:

Above age 3? Three is WAY too young to not be in a booster! I think 6/7 is a more appropriate age if you have to make a caveat, but I don't understand how a law which is supposed to concern safety can ignore safety factors for convenience.

There is no law that says, everyone must wear a seatbelt, but if there are not enough seats in the car, then the oldest person can forgo it shock

↑ rainbow baby ↓

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 8:17 am

only1 wrote:

Why do they need to make a law out of it?
is that a serious question?
.

Yes this is a serious question, this law is coming into effect from 18th September. Here is a link to the UK government site that deals with this whole issue.

http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.....s.htm

↑ rainbow baby

Thu, Sep 07 2006, 1:57 pm

Tefila wrote:

How does a family with five or more kids fit all those booster, car seats in the car. I mean it is getting ridiculous Rolling Eyes

are they so bored that they have to focus on this. How about the crime rate shouldn't they be focusing their energys on that instead Exploding anger

Hi Tefila, how are you doing? Anyway you would be laughing at the moment at what the great UK government are doing to themselves, I think it is called backstabbing each other. So obvious the crime rate must be so low, or the hospital and education system are great, that our MPs have so much time on their hands to call each other names. We are obviously not talking about the UK as the crime rate is high the education and health systems are at melt point and our government have so much time to pass these kind of laws that a lot of people will not keep, like the fox hunting law, the mobile phone law and now this one.