mom Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Wondering has anyone any info on the following... my 4 year old asd frequently takes his belt of he hates being restrained on a typical 10 minute journey i could have to stop 7 times to strap him in again... i contacted my gp today to ask for an exemption certificate now I did explain i would not be using this to drive around with him out of his seatbelt (always preaching seat belt safety after a serious accident where only my seat belt saved me), but only wanted it incase he did get out and the police were stopping and saw him dont want penalty points fine etc etc, they have said they cannot issue one as he is a child and should be in his belt all the time! Anyone any suggestions! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sooze2 Report post Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) I can see the GP's point really. When DS was small I bought an attatchment to go over his seat belt clip thats slides down after the belt has been done up to stop them being able to unclip it them selves. I think I bought it online from Great Little Trading or one of those type places. I must add that DS was about 3 and he figured out how to undo it within about a week but it's worth a try. In the end I scared the life out of him by telling him in great detail what would happen if I crashed the car and he had no seat belt on, I had to really lay it on thick and scare the pants off him but he got the message in the end and stopped doing it! Sorry just editing to add, what also worked was to stop the car and tell him you are not moving off untill the seat belt has been put on and stays on and then just sit there untill he does it - luckily I smoked so I just used to get out of the car and have a fag while he screamed blue murder about it for 20 minutes! You could say "it's a shame, we were going to buy some sweets but I guess we won't have time to go to the shops now since we are just sitting here instead! etc. You have to do it when you have a magazine or something to read and just stand your ground till he gives in no matter how long it takes. Or if he's looking forward to going out but refuses to buckle up, just calmly get out of the car take him inside and tell him you are staying in because he can't ride in the car if he won't wear his seat belt, no discussions and ignore his tantrums over it. Or make him walk if its a short journey. He'll soon get the message. Edited May 1, 2009 by Sooze2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted May 1, 2009 The gadget mentioned sounds a good idea, or maybe a new car seat with a different lock? I think under the circumstances you mention the police would accept your explanation (or a judge, if necessary with an accompanying letter of explanation from your doctor) as long as it wasn't a situation where they saw your son unseatbelted and/or climbing about in the car for a prolonged period. I didn't know about exemption certificates, but would guess these would apply to people who had medical conditions that could be aggravated by wearing belts to the point that it made them more at risk from a belt-related injury or complication than a RTA? (thinking of an example, if someone had just sustained an injury giving them two broken ribs, the danger from heavty braking might be worse with a belt on than off?) When my son was little he was an escaper... I used to have him in the front (now illegal, isn't it?) so I could rebelt him if necessary, and in pushchairs etc i used a second set of belts on backwards, which made escape much harder (but not impossible, master Houdini!). I don't think that would work in a car though, because there would be a secondary danger related to getting him out quickly after any event... Have you looked at the DVLA website? They have details about seats and things, so may have full details about legal issues like these? L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mom Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Much appreciated advice girls... all taken on board and gona look for the clip on thing to see will that improve things.. use make it sound that simple im thinking "why didnt i think of that" lol Love Sharon x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oxgirl Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Have you tried a harness? We had one for our lad when he was young, not because he was an escaper actually, but because he was very floppy and used to droop to the side in the car and kind of flop out of his seatbelt. We got a five point harness that supported him. Worth a try? ~ Mel ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hamish Report post Posted May 1, 2009 I have the same problem with my 5 yr old and seatbelts. Lost count of the times I've looked in the rearview mirror and seen him on the parcel shelf! He seems to go through phases where he does it all the time then we can have a few months where he is reasonably ok. He was probably at his worst at 3/4 yrs when he first grew out of a 5 point harness seat. I don't have any advice really, I tried all the gadgets I could find but he is a super problem solver so got them all off in about 5mins. The only thing I have done really is stop the car until he puts it back on- this tends to make quick journeys drag on for hours though. I also asked his teacher to give the class a talk about seatbelt safety, this may have had some impact as he takes more notice at school. I did once consider a special needs car seat, they are the only ones that do 5 points harness for 3yrs plus but they cost £100s and as DH pointed out, he will probably just work out how to undo it. Good luck with finding a solution. Sx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Somewhere on the forum there are details of car seats/harnesses that are impossible to escape...not sure if they are specifically for special needs?? I know for sure that in years past we have had this problem discussed before! Good luck...sorry, I worked last night so can't look for a link as I've go to go back to bed! Link anyone, please? Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sesley Report post Posted May 1, 2009 you could ask Rospa for some road safety books for him to look at and refcuse to move the car until he has belted up, everytime he undoes it,find a place to stop and refuse to move until he fastens it again,and expalin its because if you have a accident, a undone seat belt would mean he could be seriously hurt and you are not moving to take that risk,maybe he will understand the concept and eventually comply. its difficult i know but is he into following written down rules ,could you make a symbol that he can read and understand for keeping his seat belt on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paula Report post Posted May 1, 2009 When i used to work as an escort transporting kids with special needs and disabilities to and from school we used to use a special harness for kids who would try to escape there seat belts ...they tended to be on the autistic spectrum.I dont know what they were called or where you get them from but they couldnt escape for life or money out of these belts we called them houdini harnesses......wasnt the official name.Perhaps if you get in touch with school transport type of place they could tell you where to get hold of them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mumble Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Crelling Harness Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Crelling Harness That's the one Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oxgirl Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Crelling, yes, that's the one we had. ~ Mel ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hamish Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Crelling Harness Wow didn't know these existed, wish I had known about them a couple of years ago. My DS is not too bad at the moment but this is useful to know just in case he regresses. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kazzen161 Report post Posted May 1, 2009 http://www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/index.html are very helpful too. They gave me lots of advice about fitting three car seats in a Fiesta, and no pressure to buy. When my Twins got in the habit of undoing their belts, one day I drove slowly along an empty road and then braked enough to make them slide out of their seat. I was then very dramatic about it, how they could have been hurt, etc and they never did it again. T never undid his belt - he was always very good about it. I used to keep some books or small toys in the car. You could ask a friendly policeman to have a stern word, if your child would take any notice of them. I think use of seat belts is one thing that is non-negotiable. It is distracting enough when they fight while in their seats! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted May 1, 2009 Crelling Harness? I thought he was one of the villains in Dr who? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted May 1, 2009 If its any consolation - I used to have a junior Houdini on my hands. These days he is Mr Health & Safety & wouldn't dream of not fastening his seatbelt. He also nags me if I go out on my bike without a helmet Its a pain while you are dealing with it though <'> I did the "we are not moving till you belt up" scenario & eventually it sunk in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pookie170 Report post Posted May 4, 2009 Oh arrgh, us too, when Cal was 2-ish!! God only knows what passersby must have thought as my enraged, hissing, fury charged child hurled himself around in my car, as I stood calmly outside reading a book, 'avin' a faaaag or somesuch thing. Again, message got through, though I did have to resort to confectionary bribery- he was only 2, bear in mind! I can recall standing outside weeping a few times, right enough, thinking 'I only want to go and get some shopping! Why is this soooo difficult? @~*!!%&~@!) You have my empathy on this one!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
