baby seats in the front seat?

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

nfotiu,
You want a specific reason it is safer in a backseat than the passenger seat other than the airbag?

Simple, distance from impact. If a child seat is in the back (preferably in the middle), no matter where the car is struck, the car hitting you must penetrate a few feet into the car befor it hits the kid in the seat. If the kid is in the front seat, any head on collision, or one on the front passenger quarter of the car has a pretty good chance of impacting directly with the seat, hence a lot more dangerous.

Just this weekend, a friend of mine got hit making a left turn (one of the most common maneuvers being made while being struck, and also one that usually results in a passenger side door impact) and they got hit on the front quarter panel, his girfriend was riding shotgun, and luckily was alright but if the car had hit just a foot or two to the left she likely could have been badly injured. Had she been in the middle of the backseat, a close call could have been changed into a "lucky you were in the backseat" Same applies to a baby seat.

[GKDarts]

Originally posted by nfotiu@Oct 3 2005, 08:32 PM
I'm sorry about your co-worker, that is an awful story.

I guess my questions are though, was an airbag involved? Was there any factor, in particular about the child sitting in the front seat that caused such severe injuries? Would injury have been avoided or less severe by sitting in a rear seat?

There is some level of risk we all assume every time we put a child in a car. Various different cars provide various levels of safety. Would you be so harsh to someone driving their child a Chevy Astro, when they know that their occupants are about 4 to 5 times more likely to die in a crash as compared to the safest cars available? Or how about people who drive their kids around in SUVs that are 10 or 20 times more likely to rollover than mine? Which is the worse risk?

I guess no one here seems to do this, so it does seem obviously socially unacceptable, which is probably enough for me to not do it (I don't want to be the guy that every things is being reckless with his child). But nobody has convinced me that there is real evidence to suggest that this really is a dangerous practice, and not just something that people have accepted is wrong for whatever reason.

I never pressed the guy on the details so, all I know was that it was a case of moving the baby seat from the back of the car to the front in order to be able to sooth the fussybaby better. Either the seat was inproperly anchored, was never intended for front seat use, straps inadequately adjusted or something like that but, the baby ended up ejected through the window when the car spun and rolled and the girl spent age 2-7 in a wheel chair with permanent damage to her spine and legs. Many surgeries followed and she had made some progress in regaining some use of her legs. After a routine surgery that was deemed to be a success, my co-worker spent the night with her at the children's hospital. He fell asleep holding his daughter...he awoke in the morning to find his daughter cold in his arms...she had died in the night. The horror of something like that isn't something I'd want anybody else to go through.

I didn't mean to come off harsh or attack you (don't think I did). Not sure where you you're going with the Astro or SUV stuff...everybody gets to make their own decisions as an adult and I'm sure you'll do what you think is best. I just wanted to let you know about my co-worker....I'm not intending to crusade here.

[nfotiu]

Originally posted by GKDarts@Oct 3 2005, 05:01 PM
I didn't mean to come off harsh or attack you (don't think I did). Not sure where you you're going with the Astro or SUV stuff...everybody gets to make their own decisions as an adult and I'm sure you'll do what you think is best. I just wanted to let you know about my co-worker....I'm not intending to crusade here.

Sorry, I didn't mean to say you were being harsh. That was more directed at the general tone in this thread.

From this random sample, it doesn't sound like anyone here is putting kids in the front seats under any conditions, or at least admitting to it . That is kind of what I wanted to know.

[nfotiu]

Originally posted by Bring_Back_Shantz@Oct 3 2005, 04:58 PM
nfotiu,
You want a specific reason it is safer in a backseat than the passenger seat other than the airbag?

Simple, distance from impact. If a child seat is in the back (preferably in the middle), no matter where the car is struck, the car hitting you must penetrate a few feet into the car befor it hits the kid in the seat. If the kid is in the front seat, any head on collision, or one on the front passenger quarter of the car has a pretty good chance of impacting directly with the seat, hence a lot more dangerous.

Just this weekend, a friend of mine got hit making a left turn (one of the most common maneuvers being made while being struck, and also one that usually results in a passenger side door impact) and they got hit on the front quarter panel, his girfriend was riding shotgun, and luckily was alright but if the car had hit just a foot or two to the left she likely could have been badly injured. Had she been in the middle of the backseat, a close call could have been changed into a "lucky you were in the backseat" Same applies to a baby seat.

I can buy the center is safer argument almost more than the front/back argument. I think it would be unlikely with the way cars are designed these days (my car crash tests very well, btw), that a car could encroach the passenger seat in a front end collision in residential traffic.

But the center argument suggests that 2 child families should all buy cars with 3rd row seating. It is probably not as safe for anyone to ride anywhere but the center middle in a car.

[nfotiu]

You guys ruined all my fun! I traded in my fun little sports car for a Land Cruiser last night. I was sad to see it go, but all for a good cause. Our baby (due in April)will have a big safe ride, although I'll probably be keeping one of you Albertans employed with all the gas this car needs!

[Tron_fdc]

One of the new FJ 40s?

[nfotiu]

Nope, a big full size yuppie, soccer mom version

[ernie]

Along the same lines. With a baby in the backseat if your car is equipped with side air bags you will want to check those out as well. Depending on the car and how those side air bags deploy you may want to deactivate them.

[ericschand]

While your sports car is gone, the only real comment I have for
you is to never ever put your child in further danger because
of convienience.

I would love to leave mine in my car as I spend the 30 seconds
running into the gas store to pay for gas, but I don't. I take
her out, inside, pay, put her back in. It takes more time, but
it is definitely more safe to be with me than alone in a car,
locked or not.

This is not about whether you drive the safest car possible, the
largest car, or the car with most safety features. This is about
what numerous car organizations (such as AMA), numerous car manufacturers, numerous governments (Can, USA, UK, France,
need I go on?) have found in study after study, test after test.

Your child is safest in the back seat, in an appropriate child
seat.

Your vehicle is designed for the baby seat in the back,
just as it is designed to absolutely destroy itself upon
impact with anything, at any speed, yet keeping you
and your family intact and safe inside the "cage".

There is a reason, beyond car companies making money,
for your bumper to break into a million pieces at a 10mph
"bump". (It's better for the outside of the car to take
the energy generated by the collision and destroy the
trunk, side panels, front area, and not pass it onto
the passengers. If the passengers took a major portion of
force of the hit...well... That's why you see so many
cars that look absolutely destoryed, and you wonder how
anyone walked away. It was designed that way.)

Finally, if you really wanted to, you could hook up a child seat
into your sports car, then go down to a variety of fire halls
or police stations, and they will tell you exactly what they
think about it.

In fact, it is suggested that once you do have your child seat
picked out and installed, you can go down and they will inspect,
for free, your installation.

ers

PS. Congrats on your upcoming baby