Car seat safety forum? (and my question, jic someone here can answer it) « Back to Group Discussions

[stegenrae]

Is there a forum here on MDC that talks about car seat safety issues? I've done a couple searches, and only found forum discussions that mention car seats, so if it's here, I can't find it. 

I drive a 2007 Prius and this babe will be #3--big 7yo, avg 4yo, and wee one. (I asked my local AP group, so I'll just c&p from that)...

I am completely overwhelmed on car seat safety forums--I don't know half of what the hell of what they're talking about. 

My questions revolve around making the seats sit flat enough for comfort and safey. The new style Priuses (2010 and newer) have more of a flat bench seat in the back, so it's less of an issue. But ours have the bucket-like "hills and valleys" (no idea wth they're called, but ykwim) that make the side seats sit crooked without support from underneath. 

All 3 technically fit when using the seatbelts instead of latch for DS2's FF Radian (middle hump) and baby bucket (behind passenger seat atm, because that's what DH decided to do when trying stuff out this morning). DS1 is behind the driver right now with a Graco Turbo high back booster. 

What are acceptably safe ways to even out the outer seat bases? (or to create a flatter surface all the way across?)

Does anyone  have any thoughts or advice about this? DH doesn't even see any potential problems with stuffing a cut-to-fit board under part of a carseat. I have no idea if it's safe or not. 

(and I'm still over on car seat forums trying to decipher and research.)

Edited by stegenrae - 10/28/12 at 1:00pm

[Mamabeakley]

http://www.mothering.com/community/f/422/family-safety

I'd suggest calling the manufacturers, though.  They would probably provide the most official answer.

[mamaharrison]

my cousin is a car seat safety installer/inspector. She also drives a Prius and has three kids in car seats--a big 7 year old, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old. Can I offer you her email and you can ask her what works for her and/or take a pic of the seats and she can maybe let you know if they look right.

[e-mail]

I told her to look out for your questions ;)

[stegenrae]

awesome, mamaharrison! thank you :)

btw, I found out it's unsafe to put ANYTHING under a carseat, whether just a "seat protector" or something to level the seats. The only exception is being able to put a towel or noodle in the crease of the seat to get the tilt angle right for a RFing seat if the manufacturer allows. 

And dh moved stuff around and claims it's in there okay. I admit to not double-checking the tightness of the installation (he tends to be lazy about making them super duper tight enough). I just got tired of dealing with it today because I feel like crap.

[mamaharrison]

I understand car seat installation woes! I had my cousin come and install ours {she gave us her radians, too!}.
We have a 1997 toyota camry and while they aren't 'small' interiors they are for my giant family--haha. SO, we really weren't sure how we were gonnaa make two seats work, but she gave us a radian for DD and like the smallest infant seat on the market for new babe and it just barely fits--our issue is being tall and needing the seats back--both of them! So, we had to turn DD FF but nothing else we could do. 

 

[stegenrae]

yeah, my dh is 6'2" and it makes it tricky to potentially use our 2nd radian as the infant convertible. If he didn't ever need to ride in the car, we'd be fine, I think. :P 

I'd much rather have a convertible for babe, but the other one we have (MyRide65) is just too wide, and the bucket is so much smaller that it's the only one that makes sense in the car. We have a van, yes, but the amount of miles I put on any vehicle going to/from homeschool events and classes would make it cost over a hundred dollars more a month just for the gas to drive it instead of the Prius. UGH!

[purposefuldoula]

Yeah, I was going to suggest the towel trick, which is what we do, but I didn't know about the ff seats. We just got two new car seats for my tiny girls so that my 5.5 year old can stay in a 5 point for longer- she was about to hit 40 lbs and her previous car seat switched over to a booster at 40 lbs; and so my now 3 year old can stay rear facing for another 10 lbs. She just hit 30lbs last month. The car seats we purchased are the safety first guide 65's and they are pretty great for smaller cars. I'll totally be able to fit three across whenever we move this baby to a convertible. 

Good luck! We are still figuring out the car seat shuffle, as I need to be able to get to and buckle both my three year old and this new baby. Just wondering where to put everyone so that can be easily managed! 

[mamaharrison]

yes, DD was in a myride 65 until this radian we have now. It is a beastly seat! I do think that my cousin has one in the prius and can still fit the other 2, but I could be totally wrong on that. HEr husb is 6'2'', too, you all have many similarities ;) I'm sure you know this, but just in case--the radian has some sort of adjuster that enables/allows it to sit more upright when RF for a child who has neck control {so, not for the baby until maybe 5 or 6 months but DEF. by the time babe grows out of an infant seat} and once the December baby is big enough you can try that radian RF with the adjuster and swtich to a convertable ; ) I hate the infant seats, too. Since I am a babywearer I don't ever take it in and out of the car and so there is really no need for it--at least this time I was gifted car seats and so I didn't have to waste money on one. We have a second radian that we will use RF with December babe as soon as he/she can fit in it comfortably with the adjuster.

[esp831]

Cieloazul-  Sorry I spooked you!  I do need to put one of the kids in the center backseat of our outback.  I drive carpool a few days a week, so I have to be able to get one big kid in the front seat and one big kid in the back seat.  So far, my research suggests that in order to put a seat in the back center of a Subaru, the bottom needs to fit snuggly against the "hump."  I have not figured out exactly how we're going to do that.  Does anyone else know if this is possible?  One Britax toddler rear facing and one baby trend infant in the back center and behind passenger of a Subaru Outback?  I'm in a pickle.  But Cielo--I'm sure you'll be totally fine with a space in between your kiddos!

[Ivalo]

I'm a little late to the discussion, I know, but does anyone know whether car seats that come as stroller combos are as safe as individually packaged car seats?  I'm wondering because I've got my eyes on a few nice combos that I read about here: http://www.squidoo.com/baby-car-seat-stroller-combo.  So far I like the Evenflo Journey 200 the best.  Is it a safe choice?