Jeep?

[MangoMommy]

I am not sure if this is the right forum!

Anyway, we have a Jeep Wrangler, 2001. It doesn't seem like the safest vehicle out there...no side curtain airbags, it's a soft top (and hubby has the top off about 99% of the time) so it's really just a frame on wheels LOL.  It's DH's car, I drive a Murano, which is what the kids are in 99% of the time. 

Am I right to not want my kids in it? Or especially on the interstate? I'm not even sure where to have them sit...

The backseat has a low back, and if they use their boosters, it boosts them too high, their thighs are almost the height of the edge of the jeep in the back, but the seatbelts hit their neck otherwise. 

Up front is an airbag...and he normally doesn't have the doors on either. So I feel like they could fall out. 

He thinks I'm being paranoid, I think it's very unsafe and picture my kids being thrown out of it in an accident. Just really freaks me out. 

Are there any stats on kids and jeeps? 

THanks!

[an_aurora]

I don't know of any place with official stats--you could probably look up the FARS data on the NHTSA site--but it's not something I would be comfortable with, either.

[ellairiesmom]

nak-no real advice or anything here...just sharing my jeep story.  our real car is a prius but i still have my 2000 Wrangler (soft top). i didn't want to sell it...i had wanted one for so long & loved it so much.  plus it was a paid for 2nd vehicle, in decent shape & not worth enough to get us anything reliable in exchange.  

all that being said, i am a little afraid to put our children in there!  i do use it for myself here & there for fun & it has saved us because dd2 won't take a bottle or cup & the only thing that soothes her is driving around. so i can go to book club or an occasional ladies night out in the jeep & dh still has the car for the kids.  

we had crazy snow this winter & after getting stuck in the prius taking the baby to the dr & then pharmacy in a blizzard (double ear infection), i realized it was silly to have a 4WD vehicle sitting in the garage.  we put our scenera that dd1 uses on a plane & threw it in the wrangler & i even drove her to preschool once on a morning we got bad snow.  

but i am not sure how i feel about driving them around in it locally vs longer trips on a highway, top down etc.  i remember researching a little (i think it was on car-seat.org) and it seemed there was more concern about debris hitting them in the face during an accident with the top down than anything else.  and someone else brought up the fact that if the windows are down in a car, the same thing could happen???  

[an_aurora]

I wouldn't freak out if the top was up and the sides were on.  ;)

There is a pickup truck here, with an extra bench seat in the bed and a toddler girl that rides on it :eek:  That's scary, but something with a roll cage like the Jeep wouldn't be too bad, IMO.

[Marsupialmom]

If they are buckled in correctly they won't fall out.  I would make that the issue the the vehicle.  It does not matter what type of car a kid will go flying out if not properly restraint.  

Wranglers have a steal roll cage that regular cars do not have.  Do call Jeep about proper instructions on installing the car seat. 

I wouldn't worry to much.  

[Rik-E]

I pretty much agree. I think my solution would be to require the doors be on & carseats properly installed.
 

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom 

If they are buckled in correctly they won't fall out.  I would make that the issue the the vehicle.  It does not matter what type of car a kid will go flying out if not properly restraint.  

Wranglers have a steal roll cage that regular cars do not have.  Do call Jeep about proper instructions on installing the car seat. 

I wouldn't worry to much.  

[Eresh]

I would be most concerned about getting a proper car seat installation and/or proper belt positioning.  I'm not sure if you kids are in backless boosters or what, but I'd think a hbb couldn't be installed properly with that low backed bench (I'm not a car seat technician ... just my recollection of how those seats work). 

[~Adorkable~]

i have a jeep and my babies will be in it when i get back on the west coast where it is, they will be 6 months old at that point. i will worry about wind, but be happy for a good roll cage, it is more than what some compact cars have!