Which Is Safer for Baby?

[childondaway]

I am just wonering what everyones decisions are for where they have the car seat positioned in the car? on the side or in the middle?

What are your reasons for positioning where you did?

[Toomanytoomany]

I am just wonering what everyones decisions are for where they have the car seat positioned in the car? on the side or in the middle?

What are your reasons for positioning where you did?

Middle - lessens risks in side impact. Also reduces quarrelling between older siblings flanking the car seat

[Doing my best]

With one child, I like it in the middle as you don't get the sun from the side windows. Is harder to put the baby in though..

And there is less risk of harm with a side impact..

[Inertia]

Always middle. The lap belt secures around the restraint better, safer from a side impact point of view - and yes, less quarreling about the window seats. LOL. It can be a little more difficult to get baby in with it being so high (4wd) but it has all the bonuses.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

middle middle middle middle!

[visitor1]

Well when i had DD1 seat fitted the RACV fitting station told me the best place was behind passenger seat, so thats where it went.

Then DD2 came along and DD1 got shifted to behind drivers seat (forward facing)..

Now that we have 3 kids, DD1 is in the middle, DD2 is behind driver and DS is behind passenger.

Personally not ever having a child in the middle seat until now i can say i HATE having a child in the middle and glad i never had my NB's positioned there!

[Snacks]

I would've thought middle too, but we haven't had much choice in where to put the seat because of where the bolt/s are in our cars! Until we got our new car at the end of last year, both our cars only had one bolt.

[Visitor8]

I have the baby seat in the middle, boosters on either side.

The lap belts are better for the older boys and Ashtons seat goes better in the middle where it's not behind a seat because he is still rear facing.

[Netty]

My Rav4 only has a bolt on the floor behind the passenger seat so that's where she is in my car. In Dh's car she is in the middle. While I understand it is best for safety reasons, it does my back in getting her in and out!

[Jakabella]

When we had ours fitted the guy said that you should always have it behind the passenger side as then you have the seat back firmly against the seat and the stabilising bar firly agains the back of the back seat and it will not move = we had a 4wd hit the side of our car about a month a go and hit the passenger side and DD and the car set did not move an inch - you can push on the car seat and it will not move as the sabilising bar and the pass seat are holding it firly in place as well as the anchor.

Kate

[Doing my best]

[QUOTE=Kafer_Girl;1684186]When we had ours fitted the guy said that you should always have it behind the passenger side as then you have the seat back firmly against the seat and the stabilising bar firly agains the back of the back seat and it will not move = we had a 4wd hit the side of our car about a month a go and hit the passenger side and DD and the car set did not move an inch - you can push on the car seat and it will not move as the sabilising bar and the pass seat are holding it firly in place as well as the anchor./QUOTE]

The installation books (and the fitter we used) say that the front seat should NOT touch the baby seat. There should be at least 2 finger widths between, so that is really interesting.. Makes it so hard when you are looking for answers to know who's advice to follow..

[Jakabella]

Its very interestiong Heather! On our car seat there is a sticker on the side that says that the passenger seat shouldbe firmly against the seat and the stabilising bar againts the rear seat - I cant type the actualy wording as my car is in the shop getting fixed and my mum now has the car seat but when I get mums car tomorrow I will make sure thats what it says.

Thanks for the info - hard to know what to do with all this conflicting info!

Kate

[BeautifulMadness]

Middle, no reason lol

[Jewel]

Ours is in the middle seat too, and DS1 is in his booster behind the passenger side.
I always thought the front seats couldn't touch it either.

[childondaway]

Thanks for all your replys. Very much appreciated. The RACV website says it should be in the middle as there is less injury in a side impact accident.

I guess putting it in the middle is the way to go.

I was just curious as I see so many ppl with the seat on the side..

Thanks again to all who provided advice..

[Inertia]

The reason many people put it on the side (behind passenger) is because the majority of all side collisions is on the drivers side of the car. This way it puts two seats width between baby and the most likely collision. This is true - however it doesn't ever negate the very real possibility of someone running a red light on the passenger side, which actually happened to my brother (thank god! He wouldnt have walked away from a drivers side collision).

Truth is, with 5 kids in the car, this whole scenario provides little comfort because side impact is going to hurt SOMEONE. The car seats major bonus in the middle for me is that the centre belt (lab belt) has a static adjustable length. It can only go as far as you let it. The side shoulder belts can pull out further (which is probably why certain books recommend having the front seat resting against it). I was lucky as the Jackaroo came with child seat bars built into the back of the centre seat in all three positions and the two rear seats also have restraint bolts fitted to the rear of the car (although whoever wants to lean over that bugger to put a baby in is freaking crazy!).

Don't think it would make a difference though. The only way I woould fit the seat rearward facing behind mine is if I didnt mind getting stretch marks on my nostrils from having my knees up my nose. I have found that frontward facing, the kids really do prefer to be in the middle in the chair because then they can see right out the front window.

[Bridg]

Childondaway- What a good question to ask. My FIL is a paramedic, and he said behind the passenger seat is the safest. I always thought behind the driver would be safer as u always give way to ur right. If another car doesnt give way to their right, they hit the passenger side of the car. BUT FIL says the passenger side is safest, so thats where Logan will go, and the boys will go in the other 2 seats.

We too have a 4wd and there is no way that I would be able to lift bubba over the boys seat to put him in his car seat.

[feeb]

Fitting people told is behind passanger.

Our seat does not touch car seat as was told not to. (annoys DH if I am driving as he cant put seat back)