...lots of issues with cars. And while it's true that several new car features can help there is still one area that I need help with.
But first, it's not for me, it's for a friend. ;-) Actually, to be totally honest, it's for my 7-year old son. No, he's not driving. But his problem is similar to one faced by very short drivers: the seat cushion is too long for him. This means that he will end up slouching so that his knees are past the edge of the cushion, and that means that he is in danger of "submarining" under the seatbelt in an accident. That can cause all sorts of internal injuries if the belt catches under the ribs and, in extreme cases, can cause neck injuries.
So I'm thinking that there must be some sort of place that caters to short drivers and has what amounts to a full height seat-back pad that makes it easier for a short driver to sit forward in the seat. But where?
2 comments:
not being an expert on 7-year olds, i may be speaking out of the place from whence monkeys fly, but .. isn't that what "booster seats" are for?
"They should continue to ride in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are 4’9” tall (CDC 1999).if you believe the government, only 15% of child safety seats are used correctly (1999 numbers). at a certain age, kids don't want to sit in [booster seats] because they want to be all grown up. maybe if the seat were decorated like a superhero? :-)
You're right, Gene, as usual. The problem is that in the real world people are idiots and don't make their kids ride in booster seats past the age of 4 (the age at which it is no longer a crime in the Republic) and so the booster seat manufacturers design their products to fit the kids who might *actually* use them and not for the kids who *should* use them.
So while the vehicle's seat bottom is too long, the booster seat's bottom is too short. Where do you want to cut off circulation in the legs?
For now, my child is uncomfortable, but safely contained in a booster seat. I'd like to find a way to make him comfortable without compromising his safety.
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