5 Pt. Harness Vs. Car's Seat Belt for a 4Yo

Please continue to use a 5 point harness on your child until 8 years or 80 pounds. Statistics show that children survive in crashes much more in a 5 pt vs just a seat belt with or without a booster. There are a couple seats out there and the life of the child is worth the cost. Check out YouTube.com and search for the videos that prove that children will survive with a 5 pt. I have triplets and have just bought the last of our 5 point car seats with our tax refund. They're 4 years old (last Oct) varying from 48 to 30 pounds and height varying from 40-45+". I can't imagine putting my children on just a shoulder strap and expecting them to stay safe. My husband always says, "Even race car drivers use a 5 point harness."

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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This is the video that the other poster mentioned.

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4211/Car_Seat_Safety...

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-azgBhZfcqaQ/importance_o...

I would highly recommend getting a 5 point harness booster seat, I believe they go up to nearly 80lbs. Babies R Us has the biggest selection.

Good Luck

B.,

All I can think of is a video that someone sent me showing the seatbelt giving in and not holding the child in place during the accident. I think the little girl was 5 and either her or her and her brother died in the crash. The recommendation they made on the video is to keep your children in a 5 point harness as long as possible because of the fact that seat belts can sometimes fail.

I'm not telling you this to scare you, just wanted to share what I saw. I tried to look for the video, but of course, can't find it. Sorry.

B., I would suggest you keep her in the 5 point for awhile longer but if you want to double check and make sure she is safe I would schedule a car seat check with a certified tech. Most of the state trooper barracks have a day once or twice a month where you can get it checked. Or try Safekids.org or 1800 Seat Belt (i think) for a place to get a check, some Saturn dealers have certified techs too.

they will look at your child in the seat, see if she fits properly, if her straps are correct for her size and if the seat is installed correctly. I think by having this done it will really ease your mind and cover any questions you have.

Good luck.

check out the Britax Regent (5pt harness booster)...pricey but super safe

Hi, B.!
Well, car seat saftey technicians agree that for a child to be switched to a booster instead of a 5 pt restraint that the child should be an absolute MINIMUM of 4 years old AND 40 lbs.
The longer that a child is in a 5 pt harness, the safer though. There are several car seats (from Britax & Radian) that harness to 80 lbs!

Do your family a favor & watch a couple of videos before you decide what's best for all of you:
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4211/Car_Seat_Safety...

Hope that helps some!

For us personally, DD will be staying in a 5 point harness as long as possible. It can be tricky to get a proper fit with an adult seatbelt on a booster seat, not to mention getting the child to sit up and wear it properly.

My Dd is 17 months right now and still rearfacing in her Britax Boulevard. This convertible seat has a 5 point harness and a weight limit of 65 lbs forward facing (33 lbs rear facing). It is true that once she reaches 40 lbs I am supposed to switch from using the latch system to using the seatbelt to secure the seat. I think that might be what a previous poster was alluding to. I've never heard of a 5 point harness having a weight limit, other than the limits of the carseat.

When Dd outgrows the Boulevard, we plan to move her into a higher weight limit, 5 point harnessed booster seat. No matter how tiny the risk, for me, it comes down to asking myself if I would have no regrets in a worst case scenario.

As far as the winter coats go, the best thing you can do is either remove the coat in the car or unzip the the coat and pull the sides open and away from the child's body so the harness straps come down over the child's shoulders and the coat is out of the way. The padding from the coat makes it hard to get a proper tightness in the shoulder straps. This extra give in the straps can lead to enough slack to allow the child to come out of the harness. To test, put the child into the seat with coat on and zipped. Make the straps as tight as you normally would. Remove the child and take off the coat without loosening the straps. Return the child to the seat and refasten the harness straps without adjusting the straps. If the straps are looser than you deem acceptable, you'll need to figure out an alternate plan.

I agree with the other responses. I really think its your preference on when you want to change them. I think as far as the weight goes. I think that 38lbs is close enough for you to be able to move them to the seat belt. I'm having a really hard time with my 2 yr old right now and the 5pt harness when she is wearing her winter coat. I just don't think they make the belts on the harness long enough. There just enough room for the kids to grow. I would say go ahead and move her to the seat belt. Good luck with what you decide.

Look at the carseat's owner's manual. There is a weight limit for the 5pt harness and she may already exceed that weight limit. I know that my dd who is 3yo and is about the same weight and height as your 4yo uses a booster with the car seat belt, because of certain weight and height restrictions. Most Convertible carseats only go up to 40lbs and so many inches
V.

she still needs to be in a car seat. you can get in trouble if you get pulled over and she is not in one. think if you were in a car accident and she was hurt because she was not safely secured in the car.look at the website national highway and national safety standards to find out the particulars for weight and height and age requirements for children and car seats.

I believe the recommendation is 4 years old, 40lbs and over 40 inches to be in a boster seat. The height and weight are both important for a seat belt. An average four year old is both. The five point is the saftest, but most people I know do the seat belt after 3 or 4 years old.

not sure if this helps, but i have noticed my daughter is uncomfortble in her carseat with her coat on... i know it takes a little more time and effort, hopefully not too much of a struggle for you, as soon as you get into the car take her coat off. then put it back on when you arrive to your destination. it seems my daughter is a much happier passenger when i do this

It is a personal decision whether or not to switch your daughter over to the booster seat. I think your daughter will be fine as long as the seat belt is positioned correctly across your daughter's chest and not across her neck.

I switched my oldest to a booster close to her 4th birthday due to her being about 40lbs and tall. My son has been in a booster since about three years old due to him being too tall for the 5 pt harness seats. I still have one more child to go. She is 2 years old and when she gets close to 40 lbs or she becomes too tall for the 5 pt harness seat, I will move her to a booster too.

I started using a high back booster and the car seat belt with my daughter when she turned three. She met the requirements for the seat so why not? It was a lot easier than a 5-point harness and she's been fine. She'll be 4 next month.

In my understanding, the height of the harness straps in relation to your child's shoulders is equally important as (or more than) your child's weight. If the top of the straps is below or close to the top of your child's shoulders you should stop using the harness and start using the car's seatbelt. This is because if the harness straps sit too low on your child's shoulders, they could slip off your child in an accident and she wouldn't be protected. Seats ususally have a height limit as well as a weight limit - see if your seat has one.