Child seats for 2 year old - options?

[1971ChevyTruck]

lol...For everyone who thinks I am full of crap...please call the district two state police and ask them what they told me to do. Please I want you too...I spent a great deal of time with them on this issue. They know exactly what I am talking about. I no longer use a car seat and only use a stupid booster seat. lol...this thread had me fired up now I find it entertaining. I guess everyone has an opinion on this issue, but I am reporting exactly what I was told to do. They will agree that this is a difficult issue. I guess I'll just do what my dad did when I was a kid and put her on the floor board....

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by 1971ChevyTruck

lol...For everyone who thinks I am full of crap...please call the district two state police and ask them what they told me to do. Please I want you too...I spent a great deal of time with them on this issue. They know exactly what I am talking about. I no longer use a car seat and only use a stupid booster seat. lol...this thread had me fired up now I find it entertaining. I guess everyone has an opinion on this issue, but I am reporting exactly what I was told to do. They will agree that this is a difficult issue. I guess I'll just do what my dad did when I was a kid and put her on the floor board....

I don't think anyone thinks your full of crap. It just goes to show you how much local and even state authorities know about Federal Laws.

[Orange]

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

I don't think anyone thinks your full of crap. It just goes to show you how much local and even state authorities know about Federal Laws.

I concur.

I had a local cop tell me the day I put my 700R in my truck that "he wasn't allowed to shoot radar on me just to tell me how fast I was going" so I could see how much off my speedo was. Then, yesterday, I was lucky enough to find a county police do it very willingly. (I'm +12 mph at reading 30 mph - really going 42!) So, yea, they aren't always the know it all they claim to be - sometimes they just put their foot down because they can.

And I don't think you are full of crap - if that's the case, your keyboard would be stinky and wouldn't work. Badomp-chee! (Everyone's a comedian, right?)

DLB

[Hook'em]

It seems that there are two distinct issues being debate. Issues that have different factors.

First, most child safety seats work perfectly fine with a lap belt. On these types of seats, the belt holds the seat not the child. Since the original question concerns 1 and 2 year olds, the seat they are required to be in should be able to be held in place with a lap belt. (Lap belts are actually easier to tighten than shoulder belts in these cases).

Second, I do not know of any booster seats that work with only a lap belt (Britax makes a "husky" car seat for larger kids, but it is not a booster). By design, boosters are designed to "boost" children up so that the shoulder belt fits in the right location. In boosters, kids are held in by the car's shoulder belt, unlike the harness on a car seat.

I have a 3 and 5 year old and they can use a car seat held in my truck with the lap belt. Other than not letting the kids ride in the truck, I haven't figured out what to do when the car seat is too small for the kids. I have pondered installing aftermarket shoulder belts, but I am still unclear as to the law regarding aftermarket safety equipment and the actual safety of installing aftermarket equipment. My girls love to ride in Daddy's truck, but they will not ride with only a lap belt holding them in.

[71swb4x4]

If anyone with experience is still following the thread, can you confirm that you are using a car seat with stock lap belts? My lap belts are toast, I can't even get them together and apart, so I need new belts. I don't have a problem buying new stock-style lap belts, as long as they work well with car seats. My concern was that with the buckle being near the middle it may be tough to tighten with a car seat. I don't want to spend money on any belt without knowing that it will work good with car seats.

[boundstaffpress]

71swb4x4 - I think the belts that Classic Parts sells look good and will fit will fit well with your child seats.

I have a walmart special booster seat with integrated belts for when the kids ride in the truck with me. The instructions show how to use a lap belt or a shoulder belt to install the seat. I have 3 point belts now, but I've used the lap belts before. The only belt that makes me concerned is one that doesn't "lock" under the pressure of the seat.

My four year old uses the booster with a lap belt I installed in the middle because that is all that is available for the middle of the seat. When the Highway Patrol talk with me about child seats, they almost always contradict themselves about what is required. They start by saying a child must be in the back seat, never in the front. I ask about corvettes, trucks or my old station wagon with the back seat folded down. The officer usually stammers and admits that the back seat is just a suggestion. Often I've found that they make suggestions with authority and everyone passes them off as law.



I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe day.