seatbelt extender

hngrymummy

The seatbelt in my car won't fit around the car seat for our baby travel system. There are several options, varying in cost.
1) Get a new car
2) Get a new car seat that fits, although I'd still have to carry the other one around to clip on to the pushchair base
3) Get a new seat belt
4) Buy a seat belt extender.

I would rather get the seat belt extender as it's cheaper, but read on another forum that it's illegal to use one with a car seat. Is that true? If not, does anyone have experience of using an extender with a carseat?

Thanks

Sagaris

They are not tested and approved for use with car seats, if the buckle comes too far up the seat it could fail in a crash. AFAIK they are only to be used to extend the belt for an adult passenger to use.

I'd look in to having a new seat belt fitted if it were my choice.

vikingaero

http://www.securon.co.uk/

skiddlydiddly

Have you tried it in all the rear seats?One belt may be slightly longer.Another option is to either return your travel system if its unused or sell it and buy a new one.

I test fitted a couple of seats just to make sure they went in ok before buying mine.

hngrymummy

skiddlydiddly wrote: »

Have you tried it in all the rear seats?One belt may be slightly longer.Another option is to either return your travel system if its unused or sell it and buy a new one.

I test fitted a couple of seats just to make sure they went in ok before buying mine.

Alas, the travel system is second hand, and not really saleable. It fits in DHs car with the isofix base, which is the car we usually go out in. I'd only be going out occasionally in my car.

My rear seats are lapbelts and my front seatbelt is quite short, so we may struggle to find a seat that fits. Might pop in to Mothercare or halfords at the weekend and see what they have that fits, but I don't really want to fork out too much for a car seat if there's a cheaper option.

skiddlydiddly

Does your car have a passenger airbag(assuming its an older one as has got lapbelts)?From what I remember you aren't upposed to put young babies in the front unless you can deactivate it.

hngrymummy

don't think airbags were invented when my car was designed!

only_mee

What car? I prefer old cars

This might help http://www.onlinetaxistore.com/car-seat-belt-extender--extension-free-uk-delivery-1-p.asp

or this one

http://www.autocamp.org.uk/view_product.php?prod_id=1054&pid=255

hngrymummy

Thanks only_mee.

Interesting that one of them says it's suitable for baby seats, which suggests that it's not illegal.

I have a 2cv. I only want to do short trips in her with DS. I love my car, but really don't fancy motorway driving in her with a baby! It'll mean I can go swimming, meet fiends etc, and not have to fight with taking the pushchair down to get on a bus, then fight it back up again at the other end

Kilty_2

hngrymummy wrote: »

which suggests that it's not illegal.

Legal and safe being very different things of course

Sagaris

What car seat have you got?