Carseats in rental for a 4yo & 6yo - what's FL law?

[ks2boysmom]

We're going to be at Disney in May for 10 days, and won't be lugging carseats on the flights for a 4yo and 6yo. Our last trip (@ 2yo & 4yo), we rented a minivan from Dollar that had built-in car seats, which was great. We had been expecting to rent them, but lucked out with the free built-in versions. Now, I'm trying to figure out whether to plan on renting a car seat for the 4yo with a full size car, and forgoing the carseat for the 6yo, or paying about $50 more for a minivan and crossing my fingers that we again luck into the built-in version.

Somewhere on these boards (although I'm not having any luck with the search function today), I thought I remembered seeing that Florida law required carseats for kids up to 6, which is quite different from the requirement in either Missouri or Kansas (requirement ends at 4, although we still make both kids ride in boosters).

Stacey

 

[BevS97]

I don't want to sound preachy - but I wouldn't let my kids ride without booster seats - if you are careful at home, then I would be careful in Florida. My mum was just arguing with me that my dd didn't really need a carseat any more in grannys car (she's 4) and that very same day mum had a nasty bump (she was hit from the rear, mum was stationary, other car doing about 40). Luckily Katie wasn't in the car, but mum said, Yup, I think we'll keep using the car seats a little longer.

we fly from the UK and we bring our own booster seat - we need it to get to the airport anyway - check it straight away and pick it up at the carousel and put it straight in the car, it's not really any hassle.

It just takes one bump for you to regret your decision.

Bev

 

[jimmie2daughters]

Bev

Are booster seats considered OK in Florida ?

I was wanting to take a booster seat to Florida for a 4 year old but I saw a comment that Florida only sanctions child seats with a 5 point harness for children under 5 years old.

Does anyone know the correct legal position ?

ATB
Jimmie L
England

 

[tjmw2727]

Florida Law requires children 4 and under or 40 lbs and under to be in a carseat with an independant harness. Children over 4 and 40lbs can use a seatbelt or a booster in Florida. There is/was a push for 8/80 but it didn't pass.

The last two times we rented minivans they did not have the integrated seats so we rented boosters.
HTH
TJ

 

[minivanmomof2]

Originally posted by tjmw2727
Florida Law requires children 4 and under or 40 lbs and under to be in a carseat with an independant harness. Children over 4 and 40lbs can use a seatbelt or a booster in Florida. There is/was a push for 8/80 but it didn't pass.

The last two times we rented minivans they did not have the integrated seats so we rented boosters.
HTH
TJ

Hmmm, any idea on how much it costs to rent a booster seat?

 

[BevS97]

Thanks for that TJ - I was just planning on bring a high-backed booster, it never occured to me they wouldn't be allowed.

Bev

 

[tjmw2727]

In February we paid $8 per day for a highbacked booster seat from National. It was the breverra "classic" model, no harness.
HTH

TJ

 

[minivanmomof2]

Good to know, thanks for the info! Thinking we'll bring our own if our son weighs <40lbs at the time.