Is There Any Such Thing as a Childproof Seat Belt?



Summary: Frustrated parents know that many children are Houdinis when it comes to car safety restraints.  Here are some childproof seat belt ideas that can help you keep those little ones safely where they belong.

If you're the parent of a toddler or larger child, you've been there.  They challenge you on everything else, so why not on the car seat restraints, too?  You're cruising down the highway doing 55, and all of a sudden, you realize that your child has done it again and is no longer in her car seat or booster seat.  Figuring out how to undo the seat belt is a lot more fun than learning to button your shirt or tie your shoes!

Before we talk about making seat belts childproof, here is a review of the safest types of restraints for children of all ages.  The newborn infant needs to be in a rear-facing car seat.  When the child reaches 14 or 15 pounds and begins to sit up on her own, she will need a toddler sized car safety seat that faces the front of the car.

A lot of people think the child is ready for the adult lap belt when he is too large for the toddler seat, which is at about forty pounds.  It is better to just use a lap belt than it is to have no restraint at all for the larger child, but too often children don't wear these belts right.  For instance, they like to put the shoulder strap behind them.  

For these reasons, safety experts recommend a booster seat.  In fact, for the best safety, and in some places, to comply with the law, you need not only a booster seat, but also a five point harness system on that booster seat.  This is recommended until a child is about four and a half feet tall or about seventy pounds.  Always remember, too, to have the child sit in the back seat.  One reason for this is that air bags in the front seat can kill a person under five feet tall if they inflate suddenly.

With all those restraints in place, it is no wonder that the young Houdini feels like riding in a car properly belted is just too uncomfortable!  They don't understand the dangers of riding without a seat belt.  Plus, there are children and even adults who are mentally handicapped in such a way that they will probably never really understand the importance of a seat belt.  What can be done to keep these people safe?

First of all, be aware that there are products on the market that are designed to fit over the seat belt latch and make it childproof.  One such gadget is made by a company called Angel Guard.  It is made of an extremely durable plastic, and is reported to only take a few seconds for the adult to disengage, but makes the seat belt childproof.  It comes in a package of two, in a stylish neutral gray color, and costs about $16.  Some parents have invented a way to do basically the same thing with a cut off plastic bottle that fits over the latch.  If you're creative, you might prefer to play around with this idea, but remember it needs to be easy for you to undo quickly.

Another product parents in such an instance might find helpful is an alarm that sounds when the seat belt is disengaged.  This product, distributed by a company called the Alzheimer's Company which markets items for people with that debilitating condition.

One thing that has proven useful for parents especially of older special needs children is to purchase a larger car seat when the child outgrows the toddler size.  Safety First is the name of a company that makes several models of oversized car seats.

Creative (and sometimes exasperated) parents have come up with some ideas for keeping their children from undoing their seat belt or car seat restraints.  Some of their ideas make riding in the car fun for children while keeping them safe.  No one likes to be a nag.  If you can make it fun, that will be better for all.

Experts will tell you to pull off to the side of the road when your child unfastens the seat belt, but experience will tell you that this is sometimes impossible as well as unsafe.  If you should find yourself in this predicament, let your child know that there will be no music, no talking, and no fun until that seat belt is clicked in place again.  In other words, turn off everything enjoyable when you can't pull the car off.

If you have extra room in the back seat and an old car seat, some children will ride more comfortably if you put the extra car seat in the back seat with them and put a teddy bear or doll in it to ride along as a friend.  Let your child make sure the friend is properly seatbelted for safety.

When possible, another adult can ride in the back seat with a child who consistently removes her belt.  Sometimes another sibling can help, too.  If the child that has the problem is made seat belt monitor for the whole family, it can encourage him to stay in line with the rules.  Let him be the one to sing out "Buckle up for safety" or "Seat belt check!" or whatever line your family likes to use to remind everyone to click it.

In general, if you can increase how comfortable the children are and decrease how bored they get, you will have better luck teaching them to stay buckled.  Always remember to stress the importance of being properly restrained in the event of an accident, and be a good example by wearing your own safety belt.