Safety Seats for trucks?

[FooserX]

I'm now driving a pick up truck...does a normal carseat work just fine for kids in it?

[Kaytee]

as long as it fits on the seat right then yes! Nichole is also in a truck and her Britax Marathon fits just fine. Just make sure the air bag is off if you have one.

[musicmom]

Put a helmet on him too Fooser.

[Trina]

Originally Posted by FooserX

I'm now driving a pick up truck...does a normal carseat work just fine for kids in it?

What kind of pickup? No cab, compact cab, full cab? Is there an airbag on/off switch? Where is the car seat installed? What kind of car seat is your DS in now? A harnessed car seat or a booster?

[FooserX]

Originally Posted by Trina

What kind of pickup? No cab, compact cab, full cab? Is there an airbag on/off switch? Where is the car seat installed? What kind of car seat is your DS in now? A harnessed car seat or a booster?

Whoa!

It's a no cab small pickup 2 wheel drive POS with an on/off airbag switch.

He's not in any kind of car seat now.

[Trina]

Originally Posted by FooserX

Whoa!

It's a no cab small pickup 2 wheel drive POS with an on/off airbag switch.

He's not in any kind of car seat now.

Why isn't he in a car seat/booster? He's too young to be riding without one. Child passenger safety experts recommend kids stay in harnessed car seats until at least 4 yrs. and 40 lbs.. Longer is even better, especially if a child is wiggly and not able to sit properly in a belt positioning booster. Kids are safest in boosters until at least 4'9" tall and can pass the 5 Step Test.
Boosters Are For Big Kids



Taken from SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Safe Ride Helpline in the FAQ section.

Can I put my child in the front seat of a pickup truck?
Many pickup trucks have back seats that are too small for child safety seats. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have found that the risk of injury to children riding in the back seat of a compact extended-cab pickup truck is five times higher than when riding in any other vehicle. Injuries appear to be caused by hitting the inside of the pickup.
If you have a larger pickup with a back seat that faces the front of the truck, a safety seat may be installed there if the truck’s manual recommends it and at least 80% of the safety seat’s base sits on the truck seat cushion. You can reduce the risk of injury for forward-facing children by tethering the safety seat. Using a top tether can greatly reduce the chance of a child’s head striking the interior of the pickup.
Installation of a safety seat on a side-facing jump seat is not allowed by any child restraint manufacturer.
If you must install a safety seat in the front seat of a pickup truck, disable the air bag by using the air bag on-off switch. If an on-off switch is not available, you may ask NHTSA to let you have one installed. Until a switch can be installed, do not transport a rear-facing child in the front seat. Some passenger air bags will expand to cover the center seating position, so installing a safety seat in that location may be dangerous to your child. Check the vehicle owner’s manual to find out where child safety seats may be installed. Installing a safety seat in the front seat of any vehicle increases the risk of death to your child by more than 30%, so a pickup truck without a back seat is not the safest choice for transporting a child.

[Kaytee]

uh oh... Fooser pulle dout the Trina monster!!
Go get him Trina

[Trina]

Originally Posted by Kaytee

uh oh... Fooser pulle dout the Trina monster!!
Go get him Trina

LOL! I can't help it. Even though my CPS Tech certification expired this week.


Colorado child restraint laws:
younger than 1 year and less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 3 years and 20-40 pounds in a forward-facing child safety seat; 4 through 5 years and less than 55 inches in a booster seat

Doesn't quite match the current recommendations, but not bad.

A video: Car Safety for your 4-8 Year Old pcps_shell


To find a Child Passenger Safety Tech in your area:
Home | SeatCheck.org

[Kaytee]

don't have to tell me, My girl was rf for 2 years and is harnassed now. Of course she is only 23 pounds so has to be but...

[Trina]

My DS (Gr.6) just graduated out of a booster about 3 mos. ago. My DD, who is turning 10 next month, is still in a booster and will be for a long time yet. She's only 4'2" and 50 lbs.. Definitely a peanut for her age. She doesn't meet the current recommendations, and also can't legally ride without one in our state. (In CT they must be over 7 and over 60 lbs. to legally ride without a booster.) The seat belt does NOT fit her correctly without a booster, which would be very dangerous in the event of a crash.