New Child seat laws - 996 Rear Seats

[Michael Downing]

My 7 year old lad fits the rear seats of our 996 Cab perfectly - he is just the right size! As a result, when I'm carrying him and his 5 year old sister, she goes in the front in the Porsche child seat with the airbag deactivated, and he goes in the rear. If I only have him, he goes in the child seat in the front.

This seems to be in conflict with the new child seat laws, as he is under 11 therefore must have a child seat. However, I've found this on the DoT website:

14. What about rear facing seats in the back of estate cars, or small seats with forward facing seats in sports cars?
Some estate cars have rear facing seats in the luggage compartment for use by children, and some 2 + 2 sports cars or convertibles have small rear seats. Child seats/boosters to the required UN ECE Regulation 44.03 type approval must be used on these seats. However, it may be that such seats are certified to UN ECE 44.03 type approval standards which means that they are in effect type-approved child seats/booster seats themselves and therefore a separate child seat/booster would not be needed. If a seat complies with the type-approval standard, it will have an "E" label, with "44.03" or ".03" and the weight range of the child for which it is designed. You may need to check with the car handbook, or the vehicle manufacturer, whether the seat is so approved.

The full FAQ link is at http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm

Anyway;

(i) does anyone know if the 996 Cab rear seats are "UN ECE 44.03 type approval standards "?, or

(ii) does anyone have email contact details for Porsche GB so that I can ask them []

Thanks

 

[Michael Downing]

Update: no, they're not certified.

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=229923&mpage=1&#230699

 

[Collie]

I sympathise with Michael. I have four kids so live a charmed life in having a 911 in any event. The difficulty I have found is that with my eight year old if I use the Porshe booster his head is over the top of the backrest which to my mind makes his position much more vulnerable. I have not had anyone stop me yet but the requirements are in the news and no doubt will be the subject of an enforcement campaign soon. I would never endanger my kids and they have all used full porsche child seats and boosters until they have outgrown them.

 

[dilloncallum]

As I understand it, any children in the rear of the car (911 or not) under 135cm has to have a child seat / booster seat. I have two children (five and three) and although they can fit in the back comfortably (I have a 996 C4S) it is much safer for them to use a child seat anyway (due to the height of the belt to the neck without a child seat). Porsche have a range of seats, but I also would advise you to look at 'Britax' seats (which are simular to the Porsche seats) but they do require care when putting them in to save damage to the leather of the seats.