carseat safety

[moon_goddess]

i was wondering if anyone could tell me if it would be safe to put your infant in a carseat in the FRONT seat of a NO AIRBAG vehicle for long trips? i am not saying for daily use but for long lengthy car trips. i have a vw van and we might be moving far away and so i wouldnt want my ds in the back seat with the big dog the entire 18 hr drive. plus i would be driving by myself dh would be driving the moving truck. any input would help THANKS

[meco]

As I understand it, probably not. I am not carseat tech, but the safest place would be in the backseat. Assuming you are talking about an infant carrier, if you did have an accident then the entire front end would smash into the carrier. Probably not a good thing.
*The next step is to make sure that all children are in the back seat. Even in cars not equipped with air bags, studies show that a child is 30 percent less likely to be injured or killed when seated in the rear. Never place a child in a rear-facing infant carrier in the front seat.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...76/ai_20364951

*Kids 12 and under should ALWAYS ride in the back seat. This cuts their risk of death by 36%.(some say 42%)
From: http://www.car-safety.org/basics.html
http://www.carseatsite.com/

My son is 1.5, still rearfacing and when I drive cross country to move from AZ to NY he will stay back there. Even if it means I stop every hour or 2 to entertain him. I would not compromise his safety for anything.
HTH

[moon_goddess]

anyone

[moon_goddess]

thanks meco.

[Evergreen]

Well, the back is the safest place, but the front is not illeagal. I am not trying to say that just because things are legal, they are OK, just that if it boils down to it and you have to put your baby up front for a while, it is better than turning the seat foreward facing.

[Evergreen]

ohhh goood, I expected to be flamed

[TiredX2]

That is a call you will have to make.

Is the front seat as safe as the back? Definately not.

Will you be able to drive safely for that many miles if the baby is crying? Will the baby cry the whole time? Will you be reaching back to pat/etc... so often as to be unsafe?

You'll have to decide. For example, I know rear-facing is best, but I eventually turned DS rear-facing because I felt the trade-off (safety vs ease of getting him in and comfort) was worth it. You have to decide if the ease of putting DC in the front is worth the possible consequences.

[DancerMom]

I would do it...

In your situation I would put my kid in front, but that's me. But it might be worth looking up the laws in the states you'll be driving through, because in my state it's illegal to have any child under 8 or 12 in the front seat. (I can't remember which.) I have no idea if it's enforced or not.

[wemoon]

I always had my dd up front. It was the only way for both of us to remain sane. I know it isn't the safest, but it was safer than me trying to reach in the back to try to help her while she is screaming. Then for awhile all I had was a 2-seater pick up, so if I wanted to take her anywhere she had to be up front.

[pumpkinhead]

I agree with the majority in that it's definately not as safe, but if you *have* to do it, make sure the seat is as far back as it can go and that you keep the seat rear facing.

Don't underestimate your kiddo tho! My ds was fine in the backseat on long car rides when he was smaller. We once took him on an 8 hour drive and he did just fine! We had to stop pretty frequently so I could nurse him tho, and to give him a break. You'll need to do that regardless of where you put your dd. Maybe the dog can ride up front? Anyhow,whatever you decide, you won't get the 'worst parent of the year' award for putting your kiddo up front. Like I said before, just make sure the seat is as far back as you can get it and the car seat is properly and FIRMLY installed rearfacing!!

[dallaschildren]

I am a certified car seat tech. Please PM me if you have any other questions. I would be happy to try to help you.

[DarkHorseMama]

I can tell you that my state of Tennessee *requires* all children under 9 to be in the back seat, but I think they are one of the very few states to have that one on the books. (just went and looked up the law, BTW)

You can see car seat law summaries by state here

[moon_goddess]

well my van only has one back seat and it is way far back like 5 ft from the driver seat. so i wouldnt be doing any turning around if he was in the back. i just thought he would be more comfortable if he could really see me. i know it is a safety issue BUT what if there was a side collision or rear ended? that would do the same damage as being in the front. wouldnt it?

[Kabes]

This is such a hard decision. If your son is in the back you can't reach him and that will be very stressful. I have often done a 6-8 hour drive when my girls where infants (I know your drive will be much longer! Co.to Canada?). I can't imagine not being able to touch them when they cried.

You also have to consider that pulling over on a highway and merging into traffic from the shoulder are dangerous too.

My life before being a married woman involved being a paramedic. It is impossible to say that one place in a vehicle is absolutely safe. In some accidents one place would be safer and in other accidents another place would be safer. In general you want the baby as far from the edges of the vehicle as possible. That way they are the farthest away from any intrusion into the passenger compartment during an accident. B/c the passenger seat is near the front of the vehicle and on the side of the vehicle it is not as safe as the rear middle based on.

It also depends somewhat on the age of your van and how well the crumple zones where designed in that model. If it is a "hippie style" (hope that doesn't offend) VW then the front goes striaght down from the windshield and doesn't have a hood area, right? If this is true of your vehicle then there isn't anything (think van parts) slowing down the energy of another vehicle if it hits your van (or if the van were to hit something) - more dangerous than I car w/ a hood.

O.K. all that to say I don't have an answer. If I were in your position I would try ds in the back. There maybe some times of day when he does better than others. Give yourself permission to move him as needed. During nap times he may be O.K. in the back. If he has a rough time of day he may need to be in the front.

P.S. love that last link in your sig!

[meco]

Originally Posted by CarrieBeary77

TX says 3 yrs & under or less than 36 inches must be in a carseat. Adult Belt Not Permissable.

So where does that leave the 4 yr olds of this state?

I know a carseat tech over on a Delphi forums once posted a photo of her 4 year old daughter in an adult seatbelt--as dictated by law. The seatbelt covered her face. It was a pretty powerful photo. She sent it to lawmakers showing the potential effects of allowing children this young sit in seats. I wish I had a link to it. Just because something is "legal" does not mean it is the way to do it. I invested a seat that goes up to 60 or 65 for safety reasons. I was never allowed to ride in the front when I was younger--maybe that's why, :LOL

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/

The NHTSA *recommends* all children under 12 be in the back seat.

I agree you should do what you think is best. Just make it an informed decision

[jenaniah]

A side or rear collision will not do the same damage as a front collision b/c the frame in front has a crumple zone that basically puts the entire front end in the passenger seat in the event of a crash. I'm not saying you should or should not put your baby in the front, I just think you should make an informed decision. Actually if you go on some od the car seat sites they have videos of what happens in various positions. Do check the laws of states you will be dirving through...my state has a law stating that all children under 12 MUST be in the back seat unless there is no other seating option (all seat belts in the back taken by younger children or no back seat)

[Piglet68]

I wouldn't have a problem with this except for the type of vehicle you are driving. There is NOTHING, not even an engine between the front of your van and your front seats. In the event of even a moderate front-end collision, your baby stands to be seriously hurt or killed.

I know this would be pricey, but if you could afford to rent a car with a decent-sized front end/crumple zone, I'd do it without much reservation. I totally understand why you want baby up front, and would do it myself but not in that vehicle.

Actually, just had another thought...I wonder if you could drive the moving truck and have baby up front with you in that? It would be a much sturdier vehicle in the event of a collision.

[Kabes]

Piglet68- I thought about putting the baby in the moving truck too!

moon_goddess- Maybe dh could still drive the moving truck but keep the baby. You would all stop together when needed. Or, all ride in the moving truck and tow the van? (That leaves out the dog - no good)

[mountain]

Yeah, I drive a VW too & toyed with the idea of baby up front, too. I never could do it, the risk of him being up front was too much for me. I second the idea of the moving van, or,

do you have a single friend that could come with you in the veedub? someone who's up for a hitchhiking trip back?

[moon_goddess]

great responses! it does make me nervous driving him in the front of the VW...BUT it also makes me nervous having him in the back where i cant see him. i am looking into having a friend with us...not sure if it is possible tho. what are your thoughts on BFing in a moving vehicle??? that makes me nervous too tho...i dunno what to do. we will be making frequent stops anyway.

BTW. kabes...i am glad you like that link. please join us there...it is a kewl bunch of people and you can chat about ANYTHING!!!