So, my DH is not particularly into extended rear facing. He has been wanting to turn DS for a while, but has let me leave him RFing. He comes in with the manual today showing that the Roundabout:
"is designed for use rear facing by children whose weight is between birth and 14kg (birth and 30 pounds) and whose height is between birth and 76cm (birth and 30 inches)."
DS is 33 inches tall.
He fits fine, and isn't even using the top shoulder strap. He is about 25lbs. However, he's too tall according to the manual.
So that means I do not have him installed legally/properly, doesn't it?
And I think I invalidate my ICBC insurance coverage if I do not use a legally installed carseat, don't I? I know that using a US seat (without the sticker) does - would a "not by the manual" installation do the same?
Where does the top of his head come to? I'm in the US so I don't know if this is relevant, but in addition to the straps having to be below the shoulders, my Roundabout manual states you can use it RF until the child's head is one inch from the top of the child seat.
AFAIK, those specific height requirements are merely a guide, and as long as the other two requirements I mentioned are met, it is safe and installed properly. I don't know about the legal or insurance aspect though. If your manual doesn't say anything about the head height, I think you'd definitely be stuck going by the maximum height requirement.
Transport Canada required a limit for height and instead of using the one inch of hard shell, they translated that to mean a numerical value, and came up with 32".
I am by no means an expert on this subject, but carseats are installed improperly all the time and children are strapped in them improperly all the time...does this mean all those people (I keep hearing that 80% of car seats are not installed properly) have invalidated insurance? I wouldn't think so.
It's a parental decision; I would certainly be comfortable using the seat until there is one inch of hard shell no matter what the total height of the child, but ultimately of course it's up to you.
I would imagine that the insurance company will insist you can't use it past 32"; it is a huge liability to them. Maybe put in a call to Britax and see what they say?
About invalidating insurance: I just know from when we bought our seat, we first bought it in the US (because the exact same seat was about $100-200 cheaper). Then we found out that it has to have the Canadian sticker on it, and if not then our insurance wouldn't cover it/would count it as if the baby wasn't in a carseat. So I was thinking that improperly installed carseat would equal the same...
I went to the insurance office, and they didn't really understand what I was asking. Sent me to BCAA (who has the carseat workshops), and they'd had it yesterday and the guy who runs it wasn't there. They gave me a phone # to call (and I need to find out where it went...).
Tjej
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