How seriously do you take car seat expiration dates?

[Catwoman]

I mean your last sentence...in my circle of moms, no one called their car seat by its Proper Name.

I think a big part of that is bragging rights. Some people want the world to know how much they paid for everything. It's irritating.

 

I always just said "car seat" or "booster seat," but I knew women who always referred to their kids' seats by the name, so everyone knew they had expensive ones. :rolleyes: I mean, seriously, you're competing over who has the pricier car seat??? Talk to me about which one is the safest and I'm all ears, but otherwise, I just don't care.

 

I bought mine through our car dealership because I knew the seats would fit and that they would be installed correctly. They were just re-branded Britax seats with a Mercedes logo on them, but a few of the moms I knew were ridiculously impressed. Ummm... Hello. It's a stupid car seat!!!

 

Don't even get me started on the Handbag Wars... ;)

[Murphy101]

I think a big part of that is bragging rights. Some people want the world to know how much they paid for everything. It's irritating.

 

I always just said "car seat" or "booster seat," but I knew women who always referred to their kids' seats by the name, so everyone knew they had expensive ones. :rolleyes: I mean, seriously, you're competing over who has the pricier car seat??? Talk to me about which one is the safest and I'm all ears, but otherwise, I just don't care.

 

I bought mine through our car dealership because I knew the seats would fit and that they would be installed correctly. They were just re-branded Britax seats with a Mercedes logo on them, but a few of the moms I knew were ridiculously impressed. Ummm... Hello. It's a stupid car seat!!!

 

Don't even get me started on the Handbag Wars... ;)

Ha! I agree. I don't say, "Get my Coach (purse) from the car." And I don't say I'm loading my kid into his Britax/nautilus (car seat).

[SKL]

Yeah, I can't remember the brand I got for my kids as babies.  It was the one that looked like I could fit two, rear-facing, in the back seat of my Ion.

[Shellydon]

Here is a crash test video of an expired seat. The harness rips through the plastic and child dummy is ejected.  The seat is very expired -- about 3-4 years. 

 

[Guest]

My sister stretched out across the back seat (no seatbelts) and went to sleep on long car rides. I had to lie the floor because I was younger.

 

dd1's carseat was the second cheapest one at the thrift store and I didn't get it until she was 3 months old.

 

ds1 was in a backless booster before his second birthday.

 

We do the best we know how and when we know better, we do better. By some people's standards I'm way too obsessive about expiration dates and by other people's I'm way too casual about hand-me-down seats from trusted friends. I hope my previous post didn't come off as judgemental and I'm glad the OP figured out the perfect solution for her situation. :D

[brehon]

Yeah that's bull. The cars are not faster or bigger today. If they were they would be just as awful on fuel as cars in the 70s/80s. My parents had what we called a steel banana boat. A yellow Lincoln continental. That thing was huge and not some fiberglass POC that collapses like a tin can like so many cars do today.

 

Well, cars may not be bigger today; but, in many cases, they are as fast or faster.  The federal fuel effeciency guidelines (I'm almost positive that not the official title; but, I can't think what it is right now) is what increased the fuel efficiency without necessarily sacrificing speed (at least not in all cases).

 

And those fiberglass POC vehicles that collapse like a tin can actually save lives by absorbing the impact and most of the energy of the crash.  This reduces the secondary and tertiary collisions.

[SKL]

Yeah, even though the cars are smaller and faster, they are still safer because of the way they are designed for crash impact, and the way they are equipped with seat belts etc.

 

I still make the choice to put my kids in an appropriate seat and make sure it is buckled right.  But at some point, the marginal benefit of additional care is less than the cost.  The best thing we can do, of course, is to be the safest drivers we can be.  That alone would save a lot of kids.

[AmandaVT]

I'm the opposite.  I take them very seriously and keep mine in 5 point harnesses as long as I possibly can.  After being in an almost head on car crash with very minor injuries I am thankful I didn't have my younger ones in a booster even if technically they were within the limits.

Car seats are one thing I refuse to skimp on. 

 

I'm curious about the 5 pt harness vs. boostering. Everything I've read on car-seat.org (lots of car seat techs and good advice on there) is that there is no safety difference between the two as long as the height/weight limits are reached and the child sits properly in the booster. I had to make the tough decision to switch to booster mode for DS when he was 5. He had reached the LATCH limits of the car and I had to switch to seatbelt install. We couldn't get a good fit with the seatbelt install, and apparently Foresters are known for having a hard time with that. So I switched him to booster mode. He was well over the height limit and about 45 lbs at the time, so over the weight limit too. But I keep hearing about extended harnessing. Lots of conflicting info out there.

[Murphy101]

Well, cars may not be bigger today; but, in many cases, they are as fast or faster.  The federal fuel effeciency guidelines (I'm almost positive that not the official title; but, I can't think what it is right now) is what increased the fuel efficiency without necessarily sacrificing speed (at least not in all cases).

 

And those fiberglass POC vehicles that collapse like a tin can actually save lives by absorbing the impact and most of the energy of the crash.  This reduces the secondary and tertiary collisions.

Hey don't shoot the messenger. I am not the one who was claiming today's vehicles are larger and faster. Fact is they are not.

 

The steel passenger cage of the newer cars is certainly safer than the original shift from steel to fiberglass cars were, which is necessary because it's the only real defense in an accident. That accident we had? They clipped our back end. Our 12 passenger van was swiveled a bit, dented the left back corner and the bumper pried up on that side. Their car was totaled. The cage is the only thing that saved their lives bc that's pretty much all that was left of their car. And all they hit was the back corner of my van, didn't even pop the tire! So yes, I'm sticking to my assertion that it was a POC death trap vehicle. We were going to give my dh's old reliable Pontiac sunfire to the boys to drive more regularly, but after that wreck? Heck no. That was just horrific. There is no excuse for a vehicle to be crumpled like a tin can from clipping anyone's back end at less than 45mph

 

Cars are not going any faster than before. If anything they are going slower bc of reduced speed limits.

[Murphy101]

I'm a proponent of 5pt harness seatbelts replacing lapbelts in vehicles.

[Guest]

I'm curious about the 5 pt harness vs. boostering. Everything I've read on car-seat.org (lots of car seat techs and good advice on there) is that there is no safety difference between the two as long as the height/weight limits are reached and the child sits properly in the booster. I had to make the tough decision to switch to booster mode for DS when he was 5. He had reached the LATCH limits of the car and I had to switch to seatbelt install. We couldn't get a good fit with the seatbelt install, and apparently Foresters are known for having a hard time with that. So I switched him to booster mode. He was well over the height limit and about 45 lbs at the time, so over the weight limit too. But I keep hearing about extended harnessing. Lots of conflicting info out there.

 

My five year old is in a booster too, and I'm conflicted about it. He was very close to the height limit of his Graco MyRide65, I don't drive very much, and I'm carseat-challenged and couldn't find a tech or a parent I trusted to help me reinstall the convertible after maxing out the height of the straps. It came down to feeling that he was safer in a properly installed high back booster with a seatbelt than an improperly installed five point.

 

I've seen other parents stressing over this switch too. ds is big for his age and has undoubtedly outgrown the MyRide65, which I bought brand spanking new to keep him rearfacing longer than his Britax could. the Britax was approaching its expiration date, so that was a no-brainer, but the booster has lots of life left in it and I'd have to buy another brand spanking new five point while the booster gathered dust and expired.

 

I drive an '89 Honda Accord so I can't use LATCH and I upgrading the car to a newer model isn't going to happen.

 

I think our five year olds are as safe as it gets and hopefully somebody here will say something if not. It sounds like you've done your research and I've made the best compromise I can.

[Murphy101]

Oh yes. We've never owned a vehicle that had a latch option.

[Dahliarw]

Yeah that's bull. The cars are not faster or bigger today. If they were they would be just as awful on fuel as cars in the 70s/80s. My parents had what we called a steel banana boat. A yellow Lincoln continental. That thing was huge and not some fiberglass POC that collapses like a tin can like so many cars do today.

 

Now think about your fiberglass POS car being hit by a hummer.  Or a semi.  At 70mph (speed limit on the freeway closest to me).

 

Now think about your steel car getting hit by a hummer, or a semi, at 55mph (which is what most of the freeway speed limits used to be).  TOTALLY different scenario and outcomes.

[SKL]

Someone recently made the point that some people are misguided in thinking their kids are safer in a five-point than a booster, beyond a certain size.  Putting a kid in a five-point that doesn't actually fit them right is actually more dangerous than a plain old seatbelt, or so I'm told.

 

I am aware that they sell five-point boosters for pretty big kids, and that's not what I'm talking about.

[Dahliarw]

I'm curious about the 5 pt harness vs. boostering. Everything I've read on car-seat.org (lots of car seat techs and good advice on there) is that there is no safety difference between the two as long as the height/weight limits are reached and the child sits properly in the booster. I had to make the tough decision to switch to booster mode for DS when he was 5. He had reached the LATCH limits of the car and I had to switch to seatbelt install. We couldn't get a good fit with the seatbelt install, and apparently Foresters are known for having a hard time with that. So I switched him to booster mode. He was well over the height limit and about 45 lbs at the time, so over the weight limit too. But I keep hearing about extended harnessing. Lots of conflicting info out there.

 

There is no data saying one is safer with a child who is old enough/mature enough/large enough for a booster.  The swedes actually believe that ffing harnessing is unsafe, and go from rfing to boosters at 4-5 years old.  I personally booster as soon as my kids are ready, as I think restraining older/heavier children at both shoulders increases the neck load as they get bigger.  There is less "give" to absorbing the impact on the upper body in a ffing 5 point harness than there is in a regular seatbelt with a booster.  5 point harnesses are not always tested with larger/heavier kids.  They use mathematics to figure out what the forces will most likely be.  Of course this is also at 35mph, not 60mph.

[SKL]

LOL the speed limits when I was a kid were 70 or 75.  They went down to 55 in response to some fuel crisis, and recently they went up again.  Well, at least where I live.  I know that the SL has been 70 in Michigan for some years.

[Dahliarw]

Someone recently made the point that some people are misguided in thinking their kids are safer in a five-point than a booster, beyond a certain size.  Putting a kid in a five-point that doesn't actually fit them right is actually more dangerous than a plain old seatbelt, or so I'm told.

 

I am aware that they sell five-point boosters for pretty big kids, and that's not what I'm talking about.

 

Yes, and outgrown harness is less safe than a booster every time.  And sadly I've seen kids in outgrown harnesses because they are "safer" harnessed and parents don't want to buy another harnessed seat.  The message gets mixed up sometimes when people get overzealous about harnessing.

[Dahliarw]

LOL the speed limits when I was a kid were 70 or 75.  They went down to 55 in response to some fuel crisis, and recently they went up again.  Well, at least where I live.  I know that the SL has been 70 in Michigan for some years.

 

The speed limits varied state to state, as each state set their own law.  It was January 2, 1974 when Nixon set the national maximum speed limit to 55mph due to the oil crisis.  It was repealed on November 28, 1995.  So from 1974-1995 the maximum speed limit was 55mph.  Before then, it was up to the states and varied greatly, and that is now the case today.

[poppy]

My daughter is 5 and not quite 40 pounds and still harnessed, as recommended by everyone. But most of her friends who are the same size or smaller are in a booster.  I think it's a little ridiculous. Everyone is in such a rush. A little less convenience for a lot less safety.

[SKL]

That's interesting about five-point harnesses and head weight.  I agree that it seems logical that the neck would be safer in an accident if the chest could go in the same direction as the head.  Is there any science to support that a five-point harness in a front-facing setup is safer?

 

ETA:  I think I'll start a spinoff thread because I am really curious now.

[LisaKinVA]

A three year old seat would not be expired in the first place.

 

It "should" not be expired...but it depends upon the date of manufacture, not when you purchased and installed the infant seat.

 

My dd was 3yo when I decided to sell the car seat we purchased brand new for her...but I couldn't, because it had expired already.  Guess the turn-over on that model wasn't so great.  

 

So, don't assume that because you purchased the seat a few years ago, that it hasn't expired.  It may have.

[MistyMountain]

My oldest britax convertible expired before she outgrew it. It was a bummer but I did get rid of it and get a booster to replace it since she was mature enough to sit still at that age.

[countrygal]

Thanks for encouraging me to get a new seat for my 1.5 yo - it's expired and she's the 4th child to use it. I've been hee-hawing around not getting her a new one even though I have the money in the bank for it.

[brehon]

Hey don't shoot the messenger. I am not the one who was claiming today's vehicles are larger and faster. Fact is they are not.

 

Lol.  I promise I'm not aiming or firing.

 

The steel passenger cage of the newer cars is certainly safer than the original shift from steel to fiberglass cars were, which is necessary because it's the only real defense in an accident. That accident we had? They clipped our back end. Our 12 passenger van was swiveled a bit, dented the left back corner and the bumper pried up on that side. Their car was totaled. The cage is the only thing that saved their lives bc that's pretty much all that was left of their car. And all they hit was the back corner of my van, didn't even pop the tire! So yes, I'm sticking to my assertion that it was a POC death trap vehicle. We were going to give my dh's old reliable Pontiac sunfire to the boys to drive more regularly, but after that wreck? Heck no. That was just horrific. There is no excuse for a vehicle to be crumpled like a tin can from clipping anyone's back end at less than 45mph

 

Cars are not going any faster than before. If anything they are going slower bc of reduced speed limits.

 

I really think how severe an MVC is and, to an extent, the survivability depends on the types of vehicles involved, the forces involved (i.e. F=ma), the types of collisions, the roads, the road conditions at the time of the MVC, etc.  In other words, I don't think making a generalized assertion is really accurate.

 

So, a small passenger vehicle or regular passenger car v. a 12-passenger van or a semi - both traveling at highway speeds (which, in my neck of the woods, is 70-85 mph depending on which highway) who collide head-on or in a rear-end style collision is likely to result in a DOS or severely injured patients in the passenger car.  This is regardless of what the passenger car is made from. 

 

In a rear-end style collision like what you had (and I don't remember what type of car clipped your van) it's likely that the crumpled "skin" of the car also played a significant part in saving those people's lives by absorbing the energy of the impact.  I'm sure the car's skeleton also helped. 

 

Oops, gotta go.  Black Friday shoppers dropping like flies... [exeunt lowly medic]

 

[some time later our hero returns :rolleyes: ]  So, anyway, the cars "crumpling" actually prevents the types of injuries that many people died from several decades ago.  Of course, this isn't true 100% of the time as the variables are too different from one collision to another.  Not knowing all the variables I can't say why the other vehicle was totaled in your MVC.

 

Again, I think some cars do go faster, some don't; and where I live speed limits are not reduced, if anything they're generally higher across the board.

[Lurker]

If finances are an issue, and you live in the US, you can buy a discounted car seat at your local health department. They will usually have you watch a safety video/demonstration and then allow you to buy the brand new seat for about $25.

[Carrie12345]

My car seats don't have big, bright expiration stickers on them. What they do have are stamped "clock" numbers that are pointed out and explained in the instruction manual. That's the little booklet everyone is supposed to read before they put their child in a seat.

[MissKNG]

Yeah that's bull. The cars are not faster or bigger today. If they were they would be just as awful on fuel as cars in the 70s/80s. My parents had what we called a steel banana boat. A yellow Lincoln continental. That thing was huge and not some fiberglass POC that collapses like a tin can like so many cars do today.

 

nm, not worth it.

[MissKNG]

nm