Re-harnessing a child and LATCH

[cyberfish]

Thanks to all of you in this forum who have such great information and who are willing to share it.

After posting previously, I am now seriously thinking of re-harnessing my daughter, age 5 years 1.5 months, in her Graco Nautilus. She is 43 inches tall and 38 pounds.

The GN manual recommends harnessing a child as long as possible. BUT my understanding is that the Swedes turn their kids FF at age 4 in a booster, regardless of weight, and have the best safety record for kids in cars. Is this correct or am I missing something? Any thoughts on re-harnessing a child this age and size?

Also, the manual says you can use the LATCH system until the child is 48 pounds. Have there ever been any cases of LATCH failure in vehicles? Any thoughts on using the seat belt vs. LATCH?

I'm trying hard to do the right thing but may be over thinking it, as usual.

[mama2soren]

What is your motivation to re-harness her? There is no evidence showing that harnessing a 5 year old is safer than boostering, assuming the child sits properly in the booster every time. Some people wonder if harnessing a "booster-able" child is potentially putting them at higher risk for neck and spine injuries, since the force of a crash is concentrated in a harnessed child's neck, but spread more evenly across a boostered child's torso.

The Nautilus can be LATCHed in booster mode. This is to help it from becoming a projectile in a crash.

In harness mode, it can be LATCHed until 48 pounds, but not all cars allow LATCHing past 40 pounds. Honda's LATCH limit is 40, for example. What car do you drive?

[an_aurora]

At 5, it could go either way. My own 5yo is harnessed, as she is not ready for a booster. She's much too wriggly and impulsive. If your 5yo can sit properly in a booster 100% of the time, there's not many compelling reasons to re-harness.

[chickabiddy]

I'm not comfortable equating Swedish cars/roads/driving habits with American cars/roads/driving habits: Sweden does have a relatively low injury rate, but there are many more variables than boostering 4yos.

Also wondering why you want to reharness her? If she sits well in her booster and it fits her well, she's fine. If she is fidgety or impulsive, or if the lap belt rides too high on her lap (as it does sometimes on smaller kids in the Nautilus), then yes, re-harness her. LATCH limits are vehicle-dependent as well as seat-dependent. LATCH is safe to the limits: seatbelts are always safe.

[cyberfish]

As always, thank you for the info. It is all most helpful.

I have a Saturn VUE and I honestly don't know what the LATCH limits are. I should fish out the manual

My daughter does sit well in the seat. She knows how to sit properly and is not fidgety or impulsive in it.

I guess one impetus was we did some downtown trick or treating this weekend and one of the groups with a trick or treat tent was the local CPST team from the fire company. I was talking with one of them and asked if they checked proper booster fit and she was freaked that my child is not harnessed at 38 pounds. She was pretty adamant about harnesses until 40 pounds. I mentioned that I'd read somewhere (I forget where, possibly here) that by age 5 kids may be safer in a frontal collision boostered properly in a seat belt but they may be safer in a rollover crash in a harness. She asked where I got the data and I couldn't cite a source.
Then I consulted the carseat manual and it strongly recommends harnessing kids as long as they fit the harnesses. I didn't know if this was a Graco cya move to keep people from boostering 30 lb. kids who are 18 months old (I've seen this) or if it was backed by data.
I mentioned briefly to my daughter today that I was thinking about re-harnessing her and her reaction was, "What!? Noooooo!" So maybe we'll stick with the belt and the booster, as long as it is safe.

[cyberfish]

Oh, and if she's boostered she's in the seat by the window. The middle position only has a lap belt and LATCH tethers, but no shoulder belt.

[an_aurora]

Oh wait, I remember you. I remember wondering why you pulled the harness out of the seat if she still fit in it I misread your OP and thought you were thinking of buying a new seat.

As far as the 40 lbs thing, meh. Some seats require it (like the Parkway SG) but most don't, and I certainly wouldn't freak about my similar-sized 5yo in a booster (she's actually 37.5 lbs and rides in a Turbo in dad's car for the 5 minute ride to school twice a week).

[alegna]

I have my 6yr old back and forth between harnessed and boostered right now. Honestly I've yet to see any 5 6 or 7 yr old sit correctly 100% of the time in a booster. It hasn't usually been hugely egregious- but enough to make me uncomfortable. That said, dd will be remaining harnessed on any trip long enough that she may fall asleep. I don't like how she's positioned in the booster when she falls asleep- I don't trust it.

It comes down to the fact that there is data on both sides (re: which is safest) and it may or may not all balance out type of crash etc. ALSO, important to me is impacting the other seats in the car- I am going to put dd's booster in the center so in a crash she wouldn't impact a seatback as a boostered child does fly farther forward in a crash than a harnessed one.

-Angela

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by alegna

I have my 6yr old back and forth between harnessed and boostered right now. Honestly I've yet to see any 5 6 or 7 yr old sit correctly 100% of the time in a booster.

You should come meet my ds1, then.

OP - I wouldn't reharness a 5yo who sits properly in a booster. Unless she wants to.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

You should come meet my ds1, then.

OP - I wouldn't reharness a 5yo who sits properly in a booster. Unless she wants to.

I'm sure they're out there. But even the uber-mature kids I've had ride with me in boosters lean out, pick things up, etc. Nothing horrible (or I'd stop) but plenty where they are not in perfect position. I haven't yet had one kid stay in place for the whole ride.

-Angela