Safest spot for baby's car seat
Categories: Newborns, Babies, Toddlers, Health & safety
You're having a baby, now where to put the car seat? According to a recent study, the most popular placement for car seats is the rear passengers side, most likely so that the driver can most easily see and attend to the baby. But the same study found that the safest place for baby is actually in the center position of the back seat, if the car seat can be installed correctly in that position. An analysis of data from car accidents in 16 states found that kids under age 3 who sat in the center were 43% less likely to get hurt.
Sometimes, placing the car seat in the center just isn't possible. In our first car, we couldn't get a snug fit. Our second is a minivan, with bucket seats in the back. If this is the case for you, safety experts remind you that any car seat that is properly installed in the rear offers excellent protection. But if you can get it installed correctly in the center, even better.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rob O. 5-11-2008 @ 10:06AM
I wonder, in vehicles where center installation isn't an option, is there one side that's safer than the other? Obviously, the passenger side of the rear seat is more accessible for the driver to tend to the child, but if the other side is shown to be considerably safer, I'd be willing to forgo that convenience.
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Cynthia 5-11-2008 @ 10:20AM
I'd be curious to know which side position was safest as well.
I really wish all car manufacturers would put LATCH connectors in the middle. I'd prefer to have my daughter in the middle but we can't get the seat installed snugly in that position with the seatbelt.
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Bethany Sanders 5-11-2008 @ 10:22AM
I wish I knew that too, everyone. When my older daughter was a baby, I read that the passenger side was safer, but I have know idea if that still holds true or not. Anyone know?
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Cynthia 5-11-2008 @ 12:10PM
I wonder if perhaps the idea that the passenger side was safer had less to do with crash statistics and more to do with removing a child from the car on the curb side rather than the street side?
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Judy 5-11-2008 @ 1:27PM
Well, of course, if you have two in car seats this becomes a moot point, because even if it is possible to have them side-by-side with one in the middle, it's not safe because they can reach each other. Hit each other. Drop hot food or cold drinks on each other.
When our first son was born I'm not sure the car we had was really the safest to have a car seat in, and it never felt perfectly safe and secure, but we couldn't afford to "upgrade." We finally did shortly after having our second (because that car was not big enough for everyone, or even for 2 car seats, really), but our upgrade was to a van 2 years older than our car had been (we drive a 1993 Chevy Van). I'd love to have the LATCH system and air bags, but not in our budget right now.
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