please help!Toddler to big for current car seat!!

Sorry if this is in the wrong area wasnt sure where to post!Im really confused about the whole car seat thing,so my DD is nearly 3 and shes really tall people think she goes to school!So basically my problem is,shes too big for the car seat that shes in.So i went to kmart yesterday and ours is quite small so they didnt have much but i got a booster seat its one of those with the back and everything but it doesnt have an in built harness,well i didnt know anything about this,it was only once i bought it my sister in law said its no good she needs one with an in built harness.So i have a few questions as i looked on the qld transport/restraints web site and got even more confused but from what i read there it basically says if your child is too big for there current car restraint they can move into the nexxt one even if there not the age because they know children come in all sizes etc,so then whats the difference???this one says from 4 years plus or 14 kilos and just use it with a normal car seat belt,so which is legal??Is it the booster or do i really need the in built harness one or is it all a marketing thing?i cant see any difference except one has an inbuilt harness and one you use with an ordinary seat belt.Also i know you can use a saftey harness with a lap seat belt but our car doesnt have one it only has normal seat belts so does anyone know or has used a harness with a normal lap sash belt?any advice or if anyone can tell me if theyve been in similar situation and or what they use?I sat her in the new booster and its great she actually fits!!!

At a minimum, can you get a H harness that attaches to your car seat belt and is hooked into the bolt where the car seat usually is hooked in to? I think 3 is too young to be only wearing the normal car seat belt. Not wanting to scare you, but as an emergency worker i have attended car accidents where older kids (5 and 7) have been wearing the standard car seat but have come out in an accident and being thrown from the car. The belts are just not designed for littlies.

No advice, but can you call the RACQ or Qld Transport for some advice? That way you speak to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. I'd try RACQ first, they were very helpful with DS's car seat.

i only know about the victorian laws on it...

i rang out local police station and they were very helpful

At baby shops they sell boosters with extendable head rests. They would be high enough for my 7 year old so I'm pretty sure that your 3 year old would fit one.
Try googling First Years Booster Seat With Extendable Headrest to have a look at an example or better yet just go to a baby shop and ask if you can put one in your car to see if it fits.

My eldest Ds, he was too big for a normal booster so i had to buy just the seat and out a seatbelt over him....no choice

If you're confused, I would recommend going to a proper baby shop rather than Kmart or the like, as the staff there should know what the regulations are and be able to help you choose the correct car seat. They also normally have someone that is trained to fit the car seat correctly. DD is 3.4 years old, and is quite tall for her age, and she is in a Safe n Sound Maxi rider AHR - the head rest is adjustable, and it apparently should last until she is 7 years old.

I think you need to consider how heavy she is as well. The laws are very confusing cause it isn't just height and age that they consider but weight as well. The in-built harness aren't marketing hype and are about helping to keep our LO secure in thier seats as Hot1 said. The problem we had is that all the in-built harness we could find had a weight rating of 18 kgs and DS is heavier then that. I also recommend calling the police station as they are the ones who interpret the law.

My DD went into a MaxiRider at 2 due to her being taller than a convertible car seat. They have an inbuilt harness, as to quite a few of the brands of booster seat on the market these days.
They changed the rules recently to go on age or height only as opposed to the old weight rules. They used to have to be in a 5 point harness until 18-20kgs. From the viewpoint of someone who has seen many many accidents involving car seats I will continue to have my children in a 5point harness until that weight.
3 is far too little for a regular seatbelt. Go to a fitting station or baby store and investigate a harness. I'm sure they'll also recommend a tethered car seat (one that is anchored) as opposed to one that just sits on the seat and secured by the belt the child is wearing.

MY almost 3 year old is also very tall and I just had to buy a new car seat with inbuilt harness, I purchased a baby love ezy combo. It has a very high head rest I think the biggest problem will be if your DD is too tall for the shoulder straps rather than the head rest being too short. It was cheaper than a maxi rider and almost as safe according to the online rating (I think it was done by the NRMA).

We have a maxi-rider with the adjustable head rest, the benefit with this seat is you can buy a h harness for it if they are too big for the normal straps.
Well worth the $$ as it should last for years even with a tall child.


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

The laws state if they are over the height and weight you can move them up a seat, dd1 had to go into a booster with a h harness because of her height at 3.5 as she just wasn't safe.

Dd is nearly 3 and over 110cm tall so we have the Maxirider AHR and it will fit her for a few more years... She is also 21kgs but we will keep her in the AHR untill she no longer fits..