Are lap belts safe for car seats?

Lap Belt Only Solutions All vehicles 2008 and newer in the US are required to have shoulder belts in every position. While lap belts are fine for car seats where the child is secured by the car seat’s 5 point harness, lap belts are NOT ok for booster seats as boosters need shoulder belts.

Where should the lap belt fit?

An adult seat belt fits correctly when:

The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly.

What if my car only have lap belts?

Booster seats: How do I comply with the law if my car only has lap belts in the back seat? If you have a lap and shoulder belt located in a front passenger seat, put the booster seat there. (This may mean that an adult needs to move to the back seat.)

Can you put a lap belt on a bench seat?

There are loads of restraints for pets to choose from and they are not expensive. On a side facing seat – bench type there is only the option of using a lap belt. The three-point belt will not work with the side facing seats. As discussed above a lap belt is not great and only really stops the injury of other passengers.

Which is the best way to fit a seatbelt?

The best method I have found so far for the fitting of a seatbelt so far is to buy a crash rated seat with the seat belt fitted into the seat. So you buy a seat with the seatbelt already incorporated into the seat. All you have to do is bolt it down securely to the chassis.

Can you put seatbelts on a minibus?

There is a company who specialises in these type of seats and they are used in vans and minibuses. They are called Scotseat and have a wide range of crash tested seats with belts built into the actual seat. They can also build you bespoke seats to your specification if you like.

Where was the lap belt in an old motorhome?

There was a lap belt fitted to a piece of angle iron at the bottom of the seat. This would probably be enough to stop you flying about in a crash but the belt and attachments were not the problem. The actual seat is only made of a thin ply so if you were in a crash there is a good chance that the forces would pull you down, through the seat.

Can a child ride in a car seat with only a lap belt?

If you need to have a child ride in the center seat where there is only a lap belt, we suggest trying to find a car seat with a 5 point harness that can accommodate the child.

Is it OK to use a lap belt in a booster?

While lap belts are fine for car seats where the child is secured by the car seat’s 5 point harness, lap belts are NOT ok for booster seats as boosters need shoulder belts. In fact, kids in boosters and older kids & adults in seat belts should all use shoulder belts in order to get the protection for their head and chest that they need.

Can you add a shoulder belt to a center seat?

Unfortunately, you can not have a shoulder belt added to a center seat that has just a lap belt. If you need to have a child ride in the center seat where there is only a lap belt, we suggest trying to find a car seat with a 5 point harness that can accommodate the child.

Are lap belts safe for car seats?