You should be able to get two flat fingers between your child’s chest and the harness at collar bone level. My son used to escape from his car seat too, and I'd never heard of a Houdini strap, very good idea, would have saved some stress. The clips connect to each of the 2 car seat straps and hold them closer together preventing your child from wriggling out.

Houdini Stop – HoudiniAU Houdini Stop – HoudiniAU

As stated before the USA sell car seats with Houdini stop already incorporated onto the harness system.

Beware of the child unbuckling the seat belt used to secure the car seat to the vehicle (most kids in this age range will have maxed out the lower anchor weight limits and will need to have their car seat secured with the vehicle’s seat belt)… as you may want to consider a buckle guard to prevent this. A 6 year old with autism or ADHD who is determined to get out of their car seat will laugh in the face of tiny buttons and have them undone in a flash. The ‘little darling’ just looked on it as a big game to get free but then suddenly, for no reason that I could work out, decided not to bother and decided to fasten herself in and stay fastened in even after we had stopped. However, in case of emergencies, adults can easily break the strap to ensure quick access and safety. Crelling Harnesses is a friendly family based company offering a full range of seatbelts and harnesses for children and adults with special needs.

Houdini Stop Car Seat Chest Strap for child safety seat belt

We’ve previously written about the safety of car seat clips and spoken to Kevin Clinton - head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). It is a aftermarket product, therefore a parent or caregiver can decide whether or not they would like to use it with their child. It is considered an aftermarket product, and parents or caregivers can decide whether or not to use it with their child.I have heard a chest clip / strap will take the emergency services longer to get my child out in an accident? Whilst the introduction of a secondary locking mechanism will mean longer to get your child out of the car, the emergency services have confirmed that in the event of a car accident they would waste no time with any fastening and they simply cut straight through any of the straps to get your child out quickly as possible. Chest straps must never be used with chest padded walking harnesses as the strap would be positioned too close to the neck area. Make sure you take off any puffy jackets, snowsuits or thick tops, as these types of clothing can cause gaps between the harness and your little one, making it easier to wriggle out of.

Houdini Stop - Kidsafe Queensland Houdini Stop - Kidsafe Queensland

Failing that, try reasoning a little with your child, as they can understand quite a lot at that age, like "the car won't go until we've all got our belts on.Designed to give you some extra peace of mind while driving, this device clips in between the two straps of your child's car seat harness to make it more difficult for them to get their arms out. It can also be used with highchair and stroller harnesses to prevent children standing up and getting out. I have an autistic 7 year old who is a master escape artist, he almost caused me to crash my car 2 years ago getting out of his car seat and in the front on my steering wheel. The Houdini Stop chest strap ensures the passenger stays safely and correctly positioned within their harness.

Houdini Stop | Baby Bunting AU Houdini Stop | Baby Bunting AU

This is especially so if you are on the motorway, where the most dangerous place is the hard-shoulder. Some parents are worried that the seatbelt will get undone and not protect their child in the event of an accident. Behold: a little parent magic trick to foil even the most determined young Houdini — the Button-Down Shirt Trick! When we were going on a longer/motorway journey we did sometimes tie a scarf round the two straps that he couldn't open.

I will keep telling him to stop, but in the mean time need to find a car seat that he can't let himself out of when I'm doing 70 on a motorway. The button-down shirt trick does not interfere with the performance of the seat during a crash – but duct tape, knots, etc can. Please also make sure to try behavioral modification techniques in tandem with this trick… so your child is not wearing a button-down in the car seat forever. Their chest clip guard and buckle guard make it virtually impossible for a child to escape from a 5 point harness.