Car Seat Safety

[claireh05]

Hi all,

Was wondering if any of you knew where the safest place is to position the car seat in the back of the car.... we have it in the middle at the moment and my thinking is that will prevent injuries if any car bumps the left or right of the car... which I think would be the one of the most common car accidents. Someone told me the other day however that he thinks the middle is the most dangerous as if something happens and the seatbelt for some reason isn't in properly then there is nothing to stop the child going through the window...

Not a nice topic I know- but I would really like to know what you guys think. Does anyone know what the official word on this is?

Cheers

Claire :wave:

[hayleylea]

I think they say to put them in the middle. I could be wrong though?!

[LucyE]

'They' say middle because statistically there are more side impact accidents (only about 1-2%). If you had a frontal collision or nose to tail one, than behind the passenger seat is safer. Just personal choice.

[subaruforestermum]

THIS IS INFORMATION GIVEN TO ME BY QLD AMBULANCE........

Yes, they recommend that a child car seat is placed in the centre, I had mine fitted in my old car by QLD Ambulance, and that is where they put it and recommend that everyone puts it...

You are also right that it prevents injuries from getting hit on either side of the car.....on the other issue about seat belts not holding, if the car has been involved in an accident the seat belts are recommended being replaced, and if they are damaged they should be too, along with the latches, if they don't click in properly....you know the rest......

Other than that, the QLD Ambulance guy told me that it is the safest place to place your child as long as they are restrained correctly at all times whilst driving.....

Hope this has helped....

[Missus S]

Yeah we were told that it's recommended to have it in the middle..........and that's where I wanted it because we have airbags on the back doors too.

However, not all cars have anchors in the middle. My friend's late model Honda Civic didn't and she had to install her seat on one of the sides.

[FourAngelKisses]

I put mine in the middle, but once they reached 9kg, they became far to havy to lift over the top of the tether straps, so I put them on the side.

[Mischief]

We got ours fitted at RACT and we were told that in smaller cars they like to fit them in the middle, but larger cars like Commodores and Falcons are better off on the side. Mainly because you are more likely to injure your back reaching so far into the middle than you are to have an accident, and you are slightly safer in a larger car anyway.

Ours in on the side behind the passenger seat, and I wouldnt be able to lift Oliver into the center, so its in the best place for us....I tend to drive VERY cautiously now...I always look each way at intersections, even if I have the green light, just ot make sure no one is going to hit us!

[FourAngelKisses]

When this baby is born, I'll probably have the older two in the boot, Matthew on the side and the baby in the middle (so the older ones can climb over the seat to get to the boot without having to climb over the younger ones. Not sure what I'll do when the baby gets too heavy to lift. Will cross that bridge when I get to it I guess.

[jessgray]

my ds1 sits in the middle in his car seat :) but he will move to the side when we get him a new seat so his little bro can use his seat :)