Montego Child Seats

[H48HPE]

I was just thinking about the legality of the rear facing child seats some Montegos have...

Does anyone on here use them?

From what i can make out they are possibly useles these days. Current legislation states that manufacturer fitted child seats have to be european approved type - indicated with an E in a circle. if you don't have this approval then you must use them with an approved child seat, if you cant fit said child seat into those seats (which i imagine you cant) then you cant use them... you can only use them once the child is over 12 years old at which point they will probably weigh around the 7stone limit for those seats anyway...

has anyone fitted a suitable child seat to theirs? curious really it'd be a shame if these seats just cant be legally used at all....


Andy

[Captain Slow]

Does this legislation apply retrospectively to seats produced prior to the introduction of the law? Worth checking.


Alternatively, get some very small friends and they can sit in the back :P

[CPL593H]

There are lots of grandfather clauses when it comes to child car seats, and most of it contradictory

Last time I posted up the law on the exemption for rear seat belts on children over 4 if they arent fitted it got quite nasty on here

However, most parents will just assume as its old it is inherently unsafe.

[Austin-Rover]

I very much doubt that any current rules can be applied retrospectively to an older car. The handbook clearly states what size person should use the seat.

The only way you would fall foul and possibly get into trouble that I can see would be to fit the occasional rear seat to a car that didn't originally have it and not bother to fit the required laminated rear screen...

Thousands of kids travelled in Montego estates in the rear facing seat and didn't die, they are no less safe now than they were then...and probably no more dangerous in an accident than fold out seats in modern MPV's where your head is about two inches from the rear screen and boot lid.

[russ10]

My kids use the rear seats no need for a child seat as they fit fine. The booster seats are for normal seats were the child is to low down for the seat belt. But i would never use them for kids under 5 years old.

[seacow]

My kids use the rear seats no need for a child seat as they fit fine. The booster seats are for normal seats were the child is to low down for the seat belt. But i would never use them for kids under 5 years old.

It's a minefield. If you read reviews the booster seats without the backrest are really unsafe. With the backrest are fine from 3 or 4 depending of course on weight and height. I used to drive round in the boot of my dads Capri. Don't think that would pass muster now!!!

Car seats are very emotive. I have friends who used a rear facing car seat until 4 because it's undeniably safer. But kid couldn't see anything and knees round ears so cried all the time!