Child Seat - Best Seating Location?

[zlcrazy]

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right section for this so please move if required.

Keeping my question simple, i am curious to know just what is the best rear seat position to have a child seat (Booster seat, no harness with a top tether strap for anchorage) installed in a car (In this case my BAII XR6T)?

I have always had it fitted in the centre seat position but have been informed by many people including a Police Officier that it is infact safer to have it installed in the LHR passenger side. With very graphic details she explained to me what she has seen and begged me to move it to the left.

Please can people with as much or little detail help me understand what is the best location. All info very much appreciated as im very concerned about my little nephews safety on our weekend roadtrips now.

Thanks in advance.

[Bushbasher]

The cop was correct. The rear passenger side is the farthest away from oncoming traffic if you have a head on or are side swiped by oncoming traffic, and closest to the curb so your kid can get in and out quickly and safely without putting them self at risk by going onto the road to get into the car.

Bushbasher

[AJ09]

I'll second Bushbasher's comments, I've heard the same reasons.

Also saves your own back when the seat is closer to the door - my youngest Son (now 11) was heavy from day one!

[fordman302]

I have our baby seat installed in the lhr of our territory for the whole not having him on the traffic side of the car, but just out of curiosity is there other reasons than just which side you get your child out of the car on that you wouldn't put a seat in the middle?

[poppa smurf]

for the childs safety the centre is probably best, ......for access after the event the outside is the go.

all depends on the accident where the littley would be best off........as almost all accidents are different then all positions would have differing outcomes.

if only we knew where the danger was coming from we would be able to act accordingly, in the end it is in the lap of the gods.

[Bushbasher]

Originally Posted by fordman302

I have our baby seat installed in the lhr of our territory for the whole not having him on the traffic side of the car, but just out of curiosity is there other reasons than just which side you get your child out of the car on that you wouldn't put a seat in the middle?

Imagine the restraint fails or the child isn't securely strapped in for whatever reason and you run in to a tree. If the child is behind a front seat at least the seat will arrest the childs forward motion but in the middle of the car that same chils now gets catapulted out of the seat, straight past you and your airbag and out through the windscreen........instant tree art....... hmmmmmmm, nasty don't you think? A baby capsule is a different story but a booster seat just doesn't offer the same protection.

Bushbasher

[fordman302]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

Imagine the restraint fails or the child isn't securely strapped in for whatever reason and you run in to a tree. If the child is behind a front seat at least the seat will arrest the childs forward motion but in the middle of the car that same chils now gets catapulted out of the seat, straight past you and your airbag and out through the windscreen........instant tree art....... hmmmmmmm, nasty don't you think? A baby capsule is a different story but a booster seat just doesn't offer the same protection.

Bushbasher

Yeah definatelly nasty, I have no intentions of moving the seat to the middle, I always had the impression that the restraints would be enough to hold the child being a 5 point harness, I know from my speedway experience that you don't move much in a five point harness, anyway as I said I was just curious, we are planning to have three child seats of varying types across the back seat at some stage and always am happy to read others thoughts/opinions etc

[fordman302]

oop yeah I just re read the booster bit, deffinatelly agree with that, I remember as kids our rear middle seat had an extra after market harness that went over our shoulders

[Bushbasher]

Good luck getting an 8-9-10 yr old to wear a 5 point harness for more than a few minutes after week 2. Our kids rebelled at 4 and 6 and then got too big for the full on harnessed seats. We than switched to the aftermarket harnesses that lace through the lap belt but that lasted less than 6 months before they rebelled against that too. We then went out and spent up big on Hipod seats and my daughter at 9 next month is now too big for even that. She's now in an open sided booster and the regular seat belt. The other problem is that the seats end up getting so big and chunky that you struggle to get to the seat belt buckles and the kids end up fighting with the buckles endlessly.

Bushbasher

[sneaky]

Originally Posted by zlcrazy

I have always had it fitted in the centre seat position but have been informed by many people including a Police Officier that it is infact safer to have it installed in the LHR passenger side. With very graphic details she explained to me what she has seen and begged me to move it to the left.

so i should put my favourite kid on the left and the other one on the right

[superfly]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

Imagine the restraint fails or the child isn't securely strapped in for whatever reason and you run in to a tree. If the child is behind a front seat at least the seat will arrest the childs forward motion but in the middle of the car that same chils now gets catapulted out of the seat, straight past you and your airbag and out through the windscreen........instant tree art....... hmmmmmmm, nasty don't you think? A baby capsule is a different story but a booster seat just doesn't offer the same protection.

Bushbasher

I hear what you're saying but having a restraint fail? They all use the car seat belts so anyone sitting in the middle in the back seat is a sitting duck?

I've always had our kids behind the passenger seat. My oldest now though sits behind the driver's seat but he just uses a normal seatbelt only. My youngest is in a booster seat with a harness. I've always thought the middle seat would be the safest spot but never actually sat either of my boys there as it was too hard to get them in and out of the car.

As soon as my eldest turned 7, I no longer used a booster seat for him and he could sit in the front as well. My youngest will use a booster seat until he's 7 as that's the law now.

[Spurious]

When my son (now 12) was a bub I used a centre seat with 5 point harness (car was '85 XF sedan).
The seat was secured really tight with the centre lap belt.
I also used extra bolts to reinforce the whole back seat so it would not move but the belt is bolted to the floor pan anyway.

I could adjust the belt once it was threaded through the base of the child seat & clicked in to it's connector. Making it super tight.

I too once encountered a cop who insisted (quite rudely) that I was most definitely doing the wrong thing regarding this seating position, but the fact remained it was an Australian design standard baby seat & designed to fit only in the centre using the lap belt.

lets face it, COPS WHO HAVE 3 KIDS WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO PUT 1 CHILD IN THE MIDDLE, WOULDN'T THEY!

I also felt this was the safest & most convenient spot for him right in the centre. His mum & myself could reach him from the front from either side (if he dropped his dummy & spat the dummy) & being the driver I could keep an eye on him in the rear view mirror.

For a crash scenario, the child is distant from a head on (provided both back seat & child seat are secured), placed away from the side for a T-bone (which can come from either side) & for a severe rear ender his seat would most likely end up between the 2 front seats, or close to it. I wouldn't want my kid to face plant into the back of a front seat.
Reality check...there's not much more we can do.

Once your child gets big enough I would suggest using a booster but the base only. Not a booster seat with sides as these don't always keep the child against the backrest when using a regular lap sash seat belt.

In my case, I've seen many smashed X models over the years. The worst being a severe rear ender outside George town, Tasmania in the mid' 90's at highway speed.
I felt the centre was the best spot for bub based on the attributes of the XF's chassis. Strong in the front rails, sufficient side impact protection & with rear enders the boot usually folds downward behind the "C" pillar, it can push the rear seat forwards too.
The crash I mentioned near George town was caused by some 'A' hole who stole an XE from Launceston & parked it in the left lane in an overtaking section after it ran out of fuel. At roughly 5 am (still dark) a guy driving to work (at 100 kph) ran into the back of it.
The XE was propelled left off the highway into an embankment & concertinaed
the thing. The boot was in the back seat & the back seat disappeared!!!

We take our lives in our hands when we hop in our cars. Make the decision that your comfortable with, this way if anything does ever go wrong you can rest with the knowledge you did what you thought was best.

As for kids that "rebel" at a certain style of seat or anything for that matter...STIFF BICKIES"!!! Parents usually know best, kids do what they're told.

My son, now 5ft tall & aged 12 sit's in the front passenger seat. We are a single parent family of 2 & now he has an airbag!
PS: Never ever put your kids in those rear facing dicky seats in a station wagon. I've never heard cops give that advice!!!

[foxtrot3]

Hi. For years the left side of the car has been called the death side until side intrusion bars became the norm because drivers would pull out of side streets when turning right and not see approaching traffic because the passenger was blocking the view. Cheers MD

[AndyXR6T]

I have 3 kids in our FG, the youngest being a 1 year old sitting in the middle. Had the seat installed in the middle by a certified installer and they said each seat has its pros and cons.
We chose the middle for the youngest as my other 2 kids are older and can get in and out by themselves for school drop off etc. I trust my cars safety and child restraints safety enough to not wonder which seat will be worse off in the wrong situation.
Who's to say that you will get hit head on, from the left, from the right, from above? Too many possibilities.

[blackf6]

I make my kids walk, easy.

[Road_Warrior]

Plus getting kiddywinks out of their car seat when its located in the middle of a sedan's back seat (especially an AU/BA/BF) is a pain in the rs.

[nuthin' fancy]

Middle of the back seat is were my daughter grew up. Now she's using the seat belt, right passenger side for her.

A few of the posters above seem to be letting the tail wag the dog.

[Dusty1]

Four (five tomorrow) daughter in the middle, one two year old twin boy on either side.

That's in a Territory. When we only had her, she was on the rear passenger's side, in the Mondeo. In the XR6 she sits in the middle.

For me, it is easier leaning across to do up belts, than down like I had to do in the Mondeo.

[jmack]

at home

[AndyXR6T]

Originally Posted by jmack

at home

The old 'child in a bubble' technique eh? Lol

[jmack]

no,protect car from kids not kids from car

[jpblue1000]

Ive always considered the rear passenger side seat as the angel seat. In a panic the driver often turns the car away from impending doom exposing the passenger rear to the incident, the furtherest away from them.

Im also pretty sure that if the kids/booster belts fail in a major accident the seat and the back of your head will do nothing to arrest the kids imminent departure through the front of the car. The likelyhood of a failure is low and dependent on a competent person (you) installing it right.
Despite the awkwardness Id have the kid central with proper belts etc. then second choice would be drivers side. But that's me!

JP

[zilo]

The safest adult seat in any car is in fact that seat behind the driver.

That is because the driver instinctively self preserves himself in an emergency.

Volvo have always fitted custom rear child seats in the center position.

I would respect their research in this area.

[SantoAU]

Our youngest sits behind the driver. Mostly so his brother and sister can get access to the third row of seating in the wife's Pajero

[Crazy Dazz]

PROVIDED the child is well-secured, the centre position is safest.
That majority of impacts occur to the front passenger side, and statistically the front passenger is the most likely to get injured. Therefore I don’t see how sitting behind that seat could be the safest?
In an accident the basic factors in injury can mostly be traced back to acceleration (eg when the car is hit) and deceleration (when the body part hits some part of that car.) In the centre back position the child is furthest from all potential impact points, especially if the passenger cell is compromised on either side. Sitting on the side it is more likely that the child’s head will strike the window or front seat in an accident.

It also means that in the event of an emergency the child can be grabbed from either side, and even from the front.

If the child is placed behind the passenger, it is very hard for the passenger to pass things or engage the child in conversation. This is also a safety issue, because the alternative is that the DRIVER ends up being distracted.

I highly recommend the use of FULL booster seats as they provide much protection for the child’s head, especially if they doze off.

You should also be reassured, that short of buying a truck or an expensive Volvo (etc) the Falcon is a very safe car. My family and I were in a head-on in an XF wagon. My wife and I were pretty smashed up, but our 3 kids (in booster and baby seats) across the back didn’t get a scratch.

But to come back to my first point, securing the seat and child is THE most important thing.

[superfly]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

If the child is placed behind the passenger, it is very hard for the passenger to pass things or engage the child in conversation. This is also a safety issue, because the alternative is that the DRIVER ends up being distracted.

You make some very valid points but the worst part about having the child behind the driver (if not using the middle seat) is that you have to open the door into the traffic whilst getting them out of the car, which is why I choose for my youngest to sit behind the passenger. My wife is not always in the car so she's not there to hand them things then. And beside my kids are not allowed to eat or drink in my car

In my old car the middle seat was too small and also higher than the outer seats so the booster seat would keep moving left to right. So it was safer to have them sitting on the side.

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

I highly recommend the use of FULL booster seats as they provide much protection for the child’s head, especially if they doze off.

I thought it was the law to use a full booster seat nowadays with a H harness if they're not big enough for only using seatbelt.

[Spurious]

Originally Posted by superfly

You make some very valid points but the worst part about having the child behind the driver (if not using the middle seat) is that you have to open the door into the traffic whilst getting them out of the car, which is why I choose for my youngest to sit behind the passenger. My wife is not always in the car so she's not there to hand them things then. And beside my kids are not allowed to eat or drink in my car

In my old car the middle seat was too small and also higher than the outer seats so the booster seat would keep moving left to right. So it was safer to have them sitting on the side.




I thought it was the law to use a full booster seat nowadays with a H harness if they're not big enough for only using seatbelt.

In my view a booster seat is one of those polystyrene jobs with a fabric cover which uses the cars seat belt to secure the child. Then there's those that are only the base, you may be right in thinking they have been banned. I havn't seen one in a long time but yes, no support for a sleeping child.

Then there's a child restraint. Made with heavy duty plastic framework & use a 5 point harness to secure the child & the cars seat belt to restrain the bubs seat.

To touch on my previous post, the seat I used for my son, being designed to only fit in the centre, also used the strap which runs onto the parcel shelf from the top of the child seat.
The steel connector & it's base (bolted to the shelf) can be supplied & fitted by a government child techy or checked after the parent has fitted one. It used a high tensile bolt in through the parcel shelf too.

Initially I used a chunky 'D' shackle attached to the shelf bolt but got my fingers smacked by authorities.
The shelf attachment needs to be a "quick release" so the child can be removed from the vehicle quickly in an emergency, seat & all if necessary.

[GasoLane]

According to these people the safest seat is centre rear.

Web MD
http://children.webmd.com/news/20080...babys-car-seat.
Study Shows Placing Car Seat in Center of Back Seat Cuts Risk of Injury in Crash

Mayo Clinic.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/car...safety/MY00824
If you're placing only one car seat in the back seat, install it in the center of the seat — if possible — rather than next to a door to minimize the risk of injury during a crash.

esurance.
http://blog.esurance.com/safest-seat.../#.Uky0WkA2Gkw
Enter the researchers from University of Buffalo who studied crash-related fatalities in relation to seat location. It turns out the backseat is 59 to 86 percent safer than the front seat.
More astounding (at least to us) is that the middle seat is 25 percent safer than the window seats in the back.

[poppa smurf]

backs up what I have been taught as well as from experience.

[SB076]

Youngest rear passenger side, next youngest rear drivers side, then middle seat - my reasoning is that the youngest can be the most difficult to deal with and usually takes a bit more time to get in and out of the car, so safest place is the curb side.

It depends on how dependent the children are I have it setup that way, as I have a 4 year old who sits in the middle, than 18 months who sits behind me, and one on the way - I know I will spend most of my time trying to get the 18 month and new born into the car