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When I was young, there was no such thing as a booster seat for a vehicle.
We thought nothing of throwing a mattress in the back of the station wagon, loading up my brother and sisters and heading off on holiday. We would sprawl on the mattress, reading comic books or playing games. Sometimes we even fought over whose turn it was to be in the back.
Fast forward to the now and no self-respecting parent would consider doing that. Each child from day one to the age of nine (or 145 cm in height) has to have their own specially designed child restraint to hold them safely and to protect them if the vehicle they are in is involved in a crash.
We all know children and airbags don't mix and we have carefully read the owner's manual for the seats and our vehicle, so we know exactly what is correct and what will harm.
However, did you know that in one specific condition, you could be ticketed for putting a child in a booster seat?
Booster seats are designed for use with a lap and shoulder belt combination. If your vehicle has only a lap belt for a seating position, it really isn't a good place for a child that fits the booster seat requirements, with or without it.
It will cause less harm to the child during a collision if they are restrained using only the lap belt. In fact, a new B.C. law forbids using a booster seat with only a lap belt.
According to the Motor Vehicle Act in B.C.:
36.06(3) Despite subsection (1), if none of the available seat belt assemblies in the vehicle have an upper torso restraint, other than the driver's seat belt assembly, then a child referred to in subsection (1) must be fastened without a booster seat using a seat belt assembly with a pelvic restraint.
Any advice contained in this message is given in good faith to the best of my ability. I am not a lawyer and if you require legal advice which you intend to rely on it would be wise to consult one.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
