so, i know and follow car seat expirations to the best of my ability. i just found out one that ive been using as a spare is expired. thats fine. i will dispose of it! no problem.
i have an issue; someone else is using a car seat with my son and im almost POSITIVE that its expired. but what i need is some documentation that its for sure unsafe.
the reason im almost positive its expired is because the chest buckle is that old flimsy plastic thing, where you just "wrap" the strap around the little plastic tab... you know? i swear if it wasnt my brother who used a car seat like that (hes 16) it was myself (im 27) my sister (25) or my cousins who are in their 20s as well.
anyway, can someone help me find some documentation? i did find a youtube video of what could happen with a car seat that is expired, and forwarded that to her (though it might be days/weeks before she watches it).
i need something i can print out. im hoping the seat is recalled, i think she was going to let me at least check on it.. so im hoping and hoping its recalled or something.
anyway, its a tough situation. it cant come from me or else its viewed as me "trying to get her to throw something out and being selfish or rude or something".
this is MY SON. i need to protect him. and apparently, i cant tell her not to drive him anywhere. so anyway. help!
Car seats should have an expiration date printed right ON them, if they DO not have a date they are automatically expired because they have been printing dates for more than 10 years on ALL seats and seats expire after 6 years. Explain that the expiration dates are due to breakdown in the plastic and belts, if you can offer to buy a new one, lots of cheap seats are avialable that are safe.
seats aren't 'recalled' by age but manufacturers *do* have expiry dates for safety reasons. From the Car-seat.org FAQ http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html#Q25
"Q25: How many years can I use my carseat?
Many manufacturers now put "expiration" dates on their carseats. Six (6) years is the general recommendation. At most, 10 years is the accepted maximum lifetime of a carseat. The reasons for these limits involve possible degradation of the plastic shell and other parts, the possible loss/breakage of parts, and the fact that older seats will often not meet current government safety standards."
Here is a link you can use to check for recalls of a specific make/model of car seat: http://www.carseat.org/Recalls/recall.shtml
Would this other person be receptive to you purchasing a seat for her to use when she drives your son (assuming this is within your budget?). Perhaps she is using the old seat because she doesn't have resources to obtain a replacement?
Uh, yes you CAN tell her not to drive your child if he/she is in an unsafe seat! I just had to do this with my MIL. She said, "Oh, it's fine!" I told her that I'd show her evidence that it wasn't and that's all she wrote! I offered to buy a new one, but for now, she'll just be using our new seat and having to deal with it. I don't compromise on safety. I just lost a 5 year old family member. It's not worth the risk.
Who is this person you are talking about? Car seats aren't recalled simply because they are expired. Will she replace it if it is expired? Is there any way that you can just lend this person your car seat when she has your son?
