What is the age & weight limit of a child if you put them in a built in car seats (integrated seats)?

Question

I'm trying to find out what the age & weight limit is on a child in order to put them in the built in car seats (integrated seats) of a Plymouth mini van. The year of the van is around 1998-2000. Any information is most greatful. Thanks!

Answer 1

most are only usable from 30-40lbs, and usually the harness is not adjustable, so your child's shoulders must be just below or right at the shoulder harness height. They provide no side impact protection, no leg support, tend to be difficult to use which ups the chance it will be used incorrectly and not protect the child. Also, consider that rescue professionals (EMTs, Fireman) dislike them, b/c in the event of an accident, they prefer to be able to remove the seat with the child in it, to protect the child. And should your vehicle break down sometime and you need it towed and get a rental or something or someone picks you up, you are then up a creek, b/c your 'car seats' were attached to the broken car.

They were a good idea, but in reality, just not a useful thing at all, and I wouldn't use them. For absolutely correct stats, contact a plymouth/dodge dealer and order a manual.

And they are forward facing only. Since kids should remain rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, this further limits their usability.

Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life!

1)A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age.

2)A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.

3)Current research suggests that children under the age of two years are 75 percent less likely to die or be seriously injured when they are riding rear facing.

4)In a recent article from Injury Prevention, it was found that the odds of severe injury to forward facing children age 12-23 months old was 5.32 times higher than a rear facing child. (Car Safety Seats For Children: Rear Facing For Best Protection; Injury Prevention 2007; 13:398-402.)

It works this way: when you get in an accident and run into something, the car stop suddently, but everything and everyone in the car keeps moving in the direction the car was moving when it stopped, in most accidents, this is forward. So in an accident with a child in a forward facing seat, his head, the heaviest part of the body on babies and toddlers, flies forward very forcefully and easily snaps. If that same child is in a rear facing seat, his head tries to fly forward but is supported by the back of the rear facing seat, so there is no stress put on the child's neck and spine.

Check out this photo album exclusively of rear facing kids, many of them much older than 12 months: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum...  There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better.

Answer 2

Carseats, even integrated carseats, expire.  I would not use them since they are so old.

Integrated carseats are also difficult to use, thus unsafe, because they are difficult to adjust and do not fit most children very well.

Answer 3

Try this site...............

http://www.childseatcenter.com/article10...