4 year old, newborn, and carseat placement... - Page 3

[cancat]

Originally Posted by thismama

Thank you very much!

This is good timing as I just got a new car (old one got in a minor wreck with large repairs necessary) and we can start off on the safest possible foot!

Umm, were the carseat(s) installed in the car when it got into a wreck? They would need to be replaced also.

I highly recommend getting your seats checked out by a CRST when you get the ones you want installed in the correct car.

[thismama]

Yeah the one was in the car but it was a minor wreck.

Bad? I didn't think of it. Very minor wreck...

[cancat]

Originally Posted by thismama

Yeah the one was in the car but it was a minor wreck.

Bad? I didn't think of it. Very minor wreck...

Hmm, trying to parse out what "minor wreck" might mean

Different manufacturers have different standards, but after an accident you should definitely replace the car seat - it's really a "one-time use" item. Good for one collision only (whether occupied or not).

[cancat]

I am also in canada (and recently certified as a crst). I would get another harnessed seat for the 4yo, and not worry so much if she's in the middle or not (the middle is safest, but the outboard seats are not "dangerous" per se.
Especially if she is harnessed in a seat that hasn't been in an accident!)

Here's a little list with some carseats and recent prices at different stores, just to give you an idea.

Evenflo Generations - harness up to 47lbs - $139.99 at Toys R Us
Evenflo Chase - harness up to 47lbs -$99 at TRU
Evenflo Triumph Advance (harness up to 47lbs, doesn't turn into booster) $149.99 at TRU
Evenflo Titan Deluxe (harness up to 47lbs, doesn't turn into booster) $129.99 at TRU
Evenflo Traditions Plus - harness up to 47lbs. - $119 at sears
Graco® Treasured Cargo - harness up to 48lbs - $120 at Zellers
Radian (harness up to 65lbs, doesn't turn into booster, but has tall harness slots) $199 online
Apex (up to 65lbs, but you need head restraints (headrests) to use it) $179.99 at sears
Britax Marathon (harness up to 65lbs, doesn't turn into booster) - $299 at Toys R Us

[thismama]

Originally Posted by cancat

Hmm, trying to parse out what "minor wreck" might mean

Okay, low speed, low impact crash... at least it seemed so. My daughter's dad was driving, tried to turn into his driveway, backed up to correct the angle, a woman travelling behind him thought he was backing into the opposite driveway, he pulled forward and she hit him in the front passenger side.

He was travelling extremely slowly, she was going maybe 30-40 km/hour. I'm not sure what that is in miles? Slow speed due to icy conditions on a residential street, basically.

There was a fair bit of damage though, front passenger door bashed in and uncloseable, passenger wheel bent and possibly loose, and the trunk became slightly ajar which is odd considering the place of impact. DD was in the car at the time and was totally uninjured and untraumatized, thankfully. Body shop estimated $4000 in damage, so my vehicle is a write off coz it was worth about half that.

I wonder... I'm going to Costco in about an hour and wonder if I should get a booster seat.

[cancat]

Yes, I would get a new carseat after something like that.

A seat that harnesses PAST 40lbs, and then turns into a booster (using the car's seatbelts). The Safety 1st Summit at costco does NOT harness past 40lbs, don't know if they have any other carseats there...

[thismama]

Okay thanks. It didn't occur to me about the carseat being in the accident.

[thismama]

So at Toys R Us the booster is $39, the harness that holds to 65 lbs is $179. Holy crap!!!!!!!!

The Europeans I know are telling me Americans and Canadians would encase ourselves in a metal bubble if we could, Europe is not nearly this paranoid, to just do the booster and stop worrying. I'm going to check prices at Canadian Tire for the harness seat before I decide what to do.

[the_lissa]

Yikes check Zellers too. I know I saw a high harness limit there for around 100 that can also be a booster.

[thismama]

Ha! See, $100 I would spend and be happy about it. Not so much with the $179. Apparently it's going on sale march 15 but the saleswoman didn't know for how much.

The booster did look a bit... flimsy... to me. I'm not so sure I'm comfy with that either. Gah.

[cancat]

Originally Posted by thismama

So at Toys R Us the booster is $39, the harness that holds to 65 lbs is $179. Holy crap!!!!!!!!

The Europeans I know are telling me Americans and Canadians would encase ourselves in a metal bubble if we could, Europe is not nearly this paranoid, to just do the booster and stop worrying. I'm going to check prices at Canadian Tire for the harness seat before I decide what to do.

Well, in the netherlands they rear-face until 4 or so, so I think we're kind of in the middle...

There's more info and crash test video here:
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages..._is_Safest.htm
(Kyle David Miller is a 5 year old who died when his booster failed in a rollover, he would have survived if he had been harnessed)

Walmart has some of the evenflo ones, I think...

[thismama]

Ugh, that creeps me out. Makes me wanna either buy the super expensive carseat or even better, take the bus.

[thepeach80]

Have you settled w/ the other insurance already? They should replace your seat. Did they know you had a carseat in your car?

Evenflo Generations - harness up to 47lbs - $139.99 at Toys R Us This is a good one and makes a decent booster
Evenflo Chase - harness up to 47lbs -$99 at TRU Not bad if using the harness, but not a great booster
Evenflo Triumph Advance (harness up to 47lbs, doesn't turn into booster) $149.99 at TRU Nice, but you don't need it to rf, but you could get it now and pass it to baby in a little bit and buy yet another new seat, lol
Evenflo Titan Deluxe (harness up to 47lbs, doesn't turn into booster) $129.99 at TRU wouldn't even bother, my 4yo is too tall for this seat
Evenflo Traditions Plus - harness up to 47lbs. - $119 at sears I think this one is like the Chase, bad as a booster
Graco® Treasured Cargo - harness up to 48lbs - $120 at Zellers I think these are all rear adjust seats, RUN away
Radian (harness up to 65lbs, doesn't turn into booster, but has tall harness slots) $199 online have one and like it and it will last my son till probably at least 6.5yo, can be used rfing too
Apex (up to 65lbs, but you need head restraints (headrests) to use it) $179.99 at sears all right seat, very wide though
Britax Marathon (harness up to 65lbs, doesn't turn into booster) - $299 at Toys R Us AJ will be out of this about the time he turns 5, not worth it IMO

[thismama]

Thanks thepeach! I don't know the brand name of the seat at Toys R Us. Width is not a huge concern to me as my car's backseat is freaking huge.

Walmart (*cringe*) has the Apex for $169.95... that's $10 cheaper than the seat at Toys R Us. From what I am reading only three brands that harness to 65 lbs are available in Canada:

Safety1st Apex
Britax Marathon
Sunshine Kids Radian

From this discussion: http://forum.canadianparents.com/ubb...&Number=685726

I called Canadian Tire but the dude wouldn't go check for me... . I should call Zellers too just to be sure. I wish these seats weren't so darn expensive but I just can't see putting DD in a booster right now, or buying one that will take her 8 lbs or so further really... although I know I could pass it on to babe, if I don't feel the booster is adequate in 8 lbs I'll be looking at a big expense all over again.

Ugh. I hate car driving. I do it coz it's convenient and my life would be too hectic otherwise, but damn.

[thismama]

What are headrests/head restraints? Is that just a high enough backseat that the child's head is not above it? Or... something else?

[thepeach80]

Yes, those are the only ones that go to 65#, but the Graco Nautilus should be available in July and I really like that one. It'll harness to 65# and then a booster till 100#. The Apex has to have support up the top of the child's ears. Unless you have high backed seats or adjustable headrests, which in your car I'm guessing you have neither, might as well nix the Apex. Have you figured out how high yours harnesses anyways? Here's a guide that Britax uses for their seats, all other manufacturers say to replace the seat in a crash, but this may help your decision one way or the other at least for now. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...raintReUse.htm

[happyhippiemama]

Hey TM, you know that you and I are in a similar situation (pregnant, 4yo DDs...). So I'm reading your thread with interest. I just posted a similar thread here if you'd like to read it.

I've been advised to get the Graco Nautilus. It harnesses to 65 lbs and then boosters to 100 lbs.

[thismama]

#

Minor crashes are those that meet ALL of the following criteria:

* The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
* The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged;
* There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
* The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
* There is no visible damage to the safety seat

The impact did meet all those criteria. I was talking to my housemate tonight about being all freaked about replacing the seat, she knows a lot about car stuff and is a little drunky tonight, and she was like, 'OMG what are you thinking? Dont spend tons of money you don't have on a new seat. just keep the old seat! it was a fender bender and you probably didn't have it installed very tightly anyway. the seat is fine!'

That would sure solve a lot of problems if that's the case, as the Evenflo seats that convert to boosters apparently go to 47 or 48 lbs with the harness. That would buy me like a year or two.

[wendy1221]

This is going way back to your original question , but my oldest was 4 when my ds2 was born. I wanted to kep him in the middle, but we had to put the rf seat in the middle b/c there was no room behind the seats. It needed that room in between the front seats. SO you may have to have the baby in the middle afterall, you just won't know until you install the seat. Good luck figuring out which seat to get, if any!

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by thismama

The impact did meet all those criteria. I was talking to my housemate tonight about being all freaked about replacing the seat, she knows a lot about car stuff and is a little drunky tonight, and she was like, 'OMG what are you thinking? Dont spend tons of money you don't have on a new seat. just keep the old seat! it was a fender bender and you probably didn't have it installed very tightly anyway. the seat is fine!'

That would sure solve a lot of problems if that's the case, as the Evenflo seats that convert to boosters apparently go to 47 or 48 lbs with the harness. That would buy me like a year or two.

Actually, that is the NHTSA standard for replacing seats, but different manufacturers have different standards. Britax follows the NHTSA rules, but Evenflo and Graco say to replace if it has been in ANY accident at all, no matter how minor. If in doubt, call Evenflo (by law their number has to be on the sticker on your seat) and see what they recommend.