Tea? (Part 2)

[coffeejo]

Car seats are held in place through the seat belt, so that in the event of a collision it can do its job the way it does with an adult. The only difference is that the car seat takes the force, not the child's bones which are (a) in the wrong place for a seat belt and (b) simply not strong enough to take it.

Note: not all car seats fit all cars so it's best to buy from a proper shop where they can be fitted by someone who knows what they're doing.

Does that make sense?

 

[coffeejo]

PS You've probably already thought about this but I'm sure you'd need business insurance on your car to provide such a service and I would have thought some sort of public liability.

 

[Arch]

As coffeejo says, it's generally the seat belts that fix seats in, so it should theoretically be possible. Babies tend to have a cradle-like seat that doubles as a carrier out of the car, and bigger children a sort of booster that lets them sit upright, and both have slots to feed the belts through. Oli and Max's seats can go in and out of any seat in the car - so Oli can sit in the front for example, if it's just him and his Dad. But you'd want to be sure they were secured properly. I assume you don't mean Taxi literally for monetary gain, in which case your insurance would be invalid I think.

Do the parents have the necessary seats, and know how to use them properly, is the key, I think.

 

[Archie_tect]

I'm officially ill, the doctor said so.
Got £15 worth of prescription meds and I still feel like I am being run over by a truck every few minutes.

NT, glad you'll be on the mend soon!

From my memory of our children in car seats, a booster seat is OK if it includes a restraint strap and toggle to secure the top of the normal seatbelt down onto the shoulder of the child. Baby seats must face backwards and not be in the front seat unless the passenger airbag is switched off.

I think a child had to be 12 or older to sit in the front seat of a car in the UK, but this may have changed.

 

[longers]

Get well soon NT.

What did you do, or don't we want to know?

Um, I didn't make sure the first bit of timber was cleared before starting to cut the second and had it thrown at me by the saw. They won't charge me for ruining the bit of wood, which is jolly decent of them.

 

[coffeejo]

A child of any age can sit in the front (so long as they're not in a rear facing child seat and the passenger air bag is switched on).

And talking of the law, all children who are under 12 OR under 135cms must use a child / booster seat.

My brain is now empty.

 

[Speicher]

Thanks for all your advice, Coffeejo, Arch and Archietect.

It answers my question. It is not "taxi" as in paying customers. It is taking the parents and the children in my car for a short journey, ie a round trip of about ten miles. For some reason, my mother thought it might be easier for me to take them in my car, than for the parents to take the children in their car, with the car seats already in it.

It sounds as if it would take three times longer to move the car seats, and secure them, than the journey itself.

 

[coffeejo]

They can be a bugger to install. I always lose my knuckle skin installing my friend's daughter's one.

 

[Speicher]

I think my mother stopped driving around thirty years ago. I do not recall child seats then. I will just explain to her, that it is not at all a sensible idea. It is then the parent's (my niece and her husband) responsibility. I am at a loss as to why my mother thought this would be remotely a good idea. No doubt she will enlighten me with her logic some time soon.

Long story short I did travel on occasions with a large teddy bear in the front passenger seat of my car. But, I hasten to add there was a good reason for him being there.

 

[Night Train]

Some child seats have clips that fit into brackets between the seat squab and seat back on newer cars.
They may not fit properly if your car is older I think.

Best to use the cars with the seats in them already, and to make the parents look after their own. Saves a lot of messing about.

That's all I can manage now. Back to bed.

 

[Speicher]

My car is seven years old. I agree, the parents can sort this out.

 

[Mac66]

Mac - how big are your buns?

My buns are simply the best.

I know this is a tea thread but anyone for a bun?

 

[Speicher]

May I have a closer look at your buns.


Tea and buns at this time of night, whatever next?

 

[bikepete]

Some child seats have clips that fit into brackets between the seat squab and seat back on newer cars.
They may not fit properly if your car is older I think.

FWIW this is 'Isofix':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isofix

Much more secure than the type secured by seat belts, apparently.

 

[MerlinGore]

I'm drinking tea right now