Where is your carseat?

[ChrissyT]

Hi ladies,
i own a RAV 4 which has a 50/50 split in the back seats, so I have the dilemma of not being able to eventually put a car seat in the centre.

My next option is to have the car seat on the passenger side of the back seat....that way I am able to lift the baby in and out without doing my back any more damage...and can turn my head safely to see the baby.

I am of course worried about any side impact if in an accident, so I was just wondering where most of you put, have put of will put your carseat?

A little premmature I know...but just wondering.

Thanks!

[MistyFying]

Hi Chrissy

I used to work for Transport dept in safety... the best place is centre back, as you've suggested, then passenger back, then driver's side back.

Carseats should never go in the front, and it's highly recommended not to let young kids sit in the front seat either (up to Primary School age).

Hope that helps

[Astrolady]

I have never put a baby in the driver side back, because of the door opening out into the street, if you have to park on a street.

Kameron however now sits there in his booster seat but if we are parked on a busy road we make him climb over.

When we had our small hatchback laser and Kam was a baby he sat on the passenger side back, as it was easier to get the capsule in and out. We change to a Laser Sedan not long after Lachlan was born and he had to sit in the middle because the previous owner installed speakers in the back ledge so the anchor holes on the sides weren't in the middle directly behind they were off to one side. It was only the middle anchor hole that was directly behind the seat.

Love

[Kelli D]

When we had just DD, she sat on the rear passenger side.

When DS was born we had DD on the rear driver side and DS on the rear passenger side.

We have recently moved DD to the rear centre and DS to the rear driver side in preparation for #3 arrival - where we will have the whole backseat taken up!!

Needless to say, DH wants a Landcruiser instead of the Fairmont Ghia!!

Best wishes

[min]

i reckon back passenger is the best positiong for ease of getting in and out, not on road side, and also easier to keep an eye on from drivers seat when rearward facing compared to back driver side

in the middle is a pain because you have to crawl into the seat to get em in and out, we could only have in the middle in DH's old car, and when we took my nephew out, it was really inconvenient

[Tracey]

mines in the garage!!!!

but will go in middle when baby finally comes!!!

[JOJA]

Mines behind the passenger seat, but have been thinking of changing it to the middle, the only prob
I have with the middle is getting "missiles" thrown at my head while driving!

[Antheia]

Mines in the rear middle. A bit annoying reaching across to get her in and out coz i have to fully climb in the car and im too short to do it properly. When we turn it around it'll be on the rear passinger side.

[Tanya]

I was having a bit of a dilema about car seats. I have found that two car seats in the back of my 97 Magna almost don't fit! Emily's new seat (passenger side) is on a lean to let the new baby's seat in the middle, and the door almost doesn't close. I can't have them on either side because Alecia would't be a ble to get into the car then. Why do they have to be so BIG!?

Tanya

[BellyBelly]

Marisa's seat was always on the passenger side, so it's next to the footpath and not on the road side. Now that I have two carseats in the car, Elijah has the side on the road, as the guy who put in his capsule said it's best to have toddlers closest to the footpath so they can't get themselves out or get out onto the road. Infants are not able to wander. But I think as long as kids are properly restrained that is the main thing to worry about.

[Debbie Lee]

Our bolt is in the middle of the back seat so that is where the car seat is going to go. I used the car seat last week when I babysat our friend's 1 year old and it was a pain in the bum getting her in and out with my preggy belly! We have an XF Falcon so the back seat is pretty long and it is a big reach to the middle. I will definitely put the seat on the passenger side when it is turned around. For now, I think being in the middle will be ok because it will be easier to shove the dummy in bub's mouth etc. when stopped at traffic lights, etc.

[visitor2]

Kimberley's is behind the passanger seat and when we get her a new seat so the baby can have her old one then the new one will go in the middle.

[Mark&Jess]

Was just thinking about this topic this morning, and come online and here it is....

We are going to be getting our carseat in the next few weeks, and I'm not sure if our car has anchor points fitted.
Does anyone know whether a 1982 Laser Ghia Hatch would have anchor points, if so where I will find them?
If not, where in Brisbane/Gold coast area we can we take the car to get them fitted? I imagine this would have to be done by an authorised installer?

:smt024

[Deejoy17]

Once we fit ours it will be in the back middle seat (that reminds me I had a dream about our car seat lasrt night LOL).

Mark to answer your questions I don`t think a car of that age would have an anchor point, I think they have anchor points in all the latest cars nowdays. If you give the RTA a call they`d probably know where you can get it fitted if you don`t want to do it yourself, My Husband (Mark) will be fitting ours and will probably take it in to where we brought it (he installs them himself) to make sure all is aok.

Take Care

Deeanne

[Ambah]

Hey Mark,

There is a special fitting place that does it in Brisbane, it is right near the Royal Brisbane Hospital. Also ask at Jess's next hospital/midwive appt, as they generally know this information as well. I think the ambulance service does fittings too?

We had Aidyns seat fitted on the passenger side... it was just too difficult to crawl over to the middle.

Tanya - have you thought of looking around for a smaller make of baby seat/capsule? I dont know if that would make a difference or not, but we bought a Fisher Price one which was designed for small cars. Lucky we did cause otherwise it wouldnt have fit into the rearward position behind the passenger seat...