Safer Car Seats for the UK!!!

[ann_of_loxley]

I also posted this in the family safety forum.

I am always pretty by the car seats we have available here in the UK - they just don't seem as safe as what America has on offer. I am very pleased to have found these. They have car seats that can keep your child rear facing up to 55lbs (the SAFEST!) and they now have a car seat that will keep your child in a 5-point harness up to 80lbs!!! They are expensive but I personally don't put a price on my child's in-car safety!!!

Just wanted to share becaues this stuff is just not known - You can't just walk into Mothercare of Halford and expect to find car seats as safe as this!

[NW6Londonmum]

We have a Britax traveller plus which retails for around the same amount.
It's sad that low income families are going to have to compromise on their children's safety

[LittleSoulMama]

Originally Posted by NW6Londonmum

It's sad that low income families are going to have to compromise on their children's safety

This is very true. Expensive car seats really aren't an option for many families.

[ann_of_loxley]

Yes - that is true. Whilst I dont put a price on my childs safety - I understand some families don't always have that kind of money at hand. Mind...I have a lot of low income family friends (we arn't exacty rich our selves - I work three part time jobs that I have been lucky to find as they are jobs I can do with my DS!) and it really takes the piss when you happily share such safety advice and they turn around say put their 6 month old FF and their 2 year old in a booster regardless becase the booster seat was cheaper at £35 and then spend £500 on a family holiday to centre parks. I guess we all have different priorities!

I think if they put them out in the mainstream market (such as mothercare/babies r us/halfords/etc) - and actually started advertising such safety...then they could come WAY down in price!!! I wonder how we could convince them to do that. ...

[calpurnia]

£467???

i am absolutely blown away.

[AutumnAir]

See, that's why I had to FF DD - I just can't justify spending that kind of money on a car-seat, especially when we don't even own a car. Of course I would prefer to have her RF as long as possible, even though she was a car-screamer and thrower-upper until we FF her, but to expect anyone to pay that kind of money for a car seat is obscene, IMO.

[knittinanny]

Did anyone else hear about this? I caught a bit on radio 4 this morning but didn't hear the whole thing.

Most UK parents are too quick to switch their children to front-facing car seats, a team of doctors has argued.

Hopefully this will help to make larger RF seats more available!

[Annabel_the_Sheep]

How did you assess the safety of this particular car seat? Are there crash test results available to check? The conclusion of most car safety experts is that ISOFIX fittings are generally the safest. This carseat is attached to the car with seat belts, which introduces possibility of incorrect fitting.

[AlexisT]

I don't think it would be legal to sell if it hadn't met EU standards. I know you can buy Swedish seats from some websites, which are EU tested and perfectly safe to use.