Child seat in caterham

[MikePRT90]

I’ve been reading that it is illegal to use a child seat in a car with a vehicle installed harness….although the uk regulations on car seats do mention “harness”, this is in reference to a harness integrated to the child car seat itself, and not the harness of the car. Apparently this is to do with testing….although personally I can’t see how a child in a booster seat is more safe with an inertia seat belt compared to a booster seat and 4 point harness.

I also have read there is a Volvo booster seat that is a perfect fit for a caterham, does anyone have the product code as I can’t find it.

Does anyone still take their kids as passengers in the car? My youngest is 6 and is 20kg.

Thanks, Mike

[BertBert]

It's a really difficult judgement call. The problem is noone knows how a child will fare with harnesses on a booster.

In fact it is reputed that harnesses that are not done up proper tight don't actually work well for adults. So are you going to make sure your 6 year old's harness is going to be proper tight? They won't like it. They are made and fitted for adults, not kids. Personally I'd not do it until the kids get adult-ish in size.

The link from the other thread is proper scary. How well will the kids do with the car rolling over...

https://www.wreckedexotics.com/driver-and-passenge...

That's pretty unlikely to happen when one is driving a caterham with one's child in the pax seat, but accidents do happen. The contemplation isn't whether the accident will happen, it's what the effect will be if it does happen.

[MikePRT90]

Yeah, it is something I’m really mulling over. I don’t plan on any big journeys, just the odd school run or trip to the shops, but know accidents can happen anytime. I think more than likely a 6yr old isn’t going to fit well with the harness.

[WombleCate]

Don’t do it.

My youngest is a thrill seeker. I put her in the passenger seat harness, drove slowly along a country lane & after 1 mile realised it was insane.

For a harness to work it has to be pulled so tight that you can’t move (especially if you have a cage).

[Hatchoo]

I used a booster cushion when my son was young called a "bubblebum" it has a pair of clips that work perfectly with the lower harness straps and the width was like it had been designed for a seat in a standard S3 car. When he first tried it he was too small and the harness buckle wasn't safe, it was too high on his body, so the trip was cancelled until he grew a bit. When he was a little taller it worked brilliantly for a few years until he'd grown enough. Also needed a pair of over-ear cans as the exhaust is on his side. He loved it although he invariably fell asleep!

[justin220]

Ive taken my 6 year old son out in my 7 a few times. He absolutely loves it but you can't escape the feeling of how exposed it is.

I use his standard child seat and seat belt

[Hard-Drive]

I've just sold my R400 but I used to take my lad out in it. At 8/9 years old he was actually not far off the size of a small adult, and I had (still have...) the Volvo seat which worked very well with the (leather) seat right forward on the runners and the harness done up tight.

He was always very happy to explore the upper reaches of the K-VHPD power band and we'd giggle to each other over the intercom (to protect our respective hearing).

However I couldn't get the nagging feeling of what would happen if some idiot T-boned us on his side out of my head and how I'd live with myself, and that is one of the reasons I sold the car. I absolutely do not believe in wrapping kids up in cotton wool, I'll be taking him up flying with me on Saturday, but there's generally less pillocks showing off whilst facetiming in the air. I live in the country and I was also worried about hitting an animal...I've come close a few times and I'd almost come to the conclusion that such a collision would be better with an aeroscreen so it's soft tissue hitting soft tissue, without having to deal with a face full of glass and windscreen frame. And you can't put a child in a crash helmet in a car without inertia reel belts due to the risk of a basilar skull fracture.

I might have been happier in a car with a full cage though.

[WombleCate]

Agree.

A cage is safer only if the harness is tight enough not to allow any movement at all. We don't want the occupant's head to make contact with it. Looking at where scrutineers demand padding on a cage can be sobering.

There are also positives and negatives to wearing a helmet without an HANS/ FHR device, and, I think an FHR would be dangerous on the road.

[MikePRT90]

I’ve now had my car for nearly 4 months and I’ve gone off the idea of putting a child seat in it. Like you I dread to think the outcome from a crash. Putting my self at “risk” is one thing, but putting my child in that position is just not worth it…oh, and I also only have 1 seat now too whilst I try and find another tillet!