luria@ucbvax.ARPA (Marc Luria) (02/22/85)
We have a Century 200 for our two month old son, Yaakov. When I'm driving alone with him, running errands, I would rather have him in the front seat, is this much less safe than the back seat? Also, how snugly should the shield fit near his body? Does anyone have much experience in adjusting the straps on this seat?
colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (02/25/85)
["Would you want to eat a doormat that ate bark and fungus?"] He will be unconditionally safer in the back seat. If you insist on being able to look at him and your car has bucket seats, you can put him on the passenger side. But if you put him in the front seat, he's more likely to be killed or crippled! -- Col. G. L. Sicherman ...decvax!sunybcs!gloria!colonel
tron@fluke.UUCP (Peter Barbee) (02/25/85)
I think car seats are safer in the front seat than the back, especially when you are the only adult in the car. You are likely to interact with your child while driving and having her/him in the front seat will distract you less from the road. I would prefer to reduce the possibility of an accident rather than make an accident safer. Peter Barbee decvax-+-uw-beaver-+ ihnp4--+ allegra-+ ucbvax----lbl-csam-+--fluke!tron sun-+ ssc-vax-+ :
kaiser@jaws.DEC (Pete Kaiser 225-5441 or 274-6565) (03/01/85)
[Should I put my own original remarks after >s?] > > 2. Face it backwards. (It's worth noting that this is also the safest > > position for the adults, too, but it's not socially acceptable, so > > cars aren't made this way. No cute jokes about the driver.) > > I don't believe that it is ALWAYS the safest for the child > seat to be facing backward. The manufacturer instructs the > user to face the seat forward after a child reaches a certain > weight (20lbs. for the Century 200). I assume that the seat > (when used facing forward) is better able to handle the > stronger forces that result from the increased weight of the > child. The manufacturer's comment has to do with limitations of the seat's construc- tion. In a frontal accident, it's safer to be facing backwards. > > 3. Put it in the rear seat. (Also safer for adults.) > > The child is equally safe in either front or back as > long as the child seat is used properly. Perhaps it is > shielded from flying glass better when in the rear, but > when the driver and the child are the only occupants, > the child should sit up front with the adult driver. Absolutely the most important thing is ALWAYS to use the child seat, but my understanding is that most accidents happen to the front of the car, and that therefore the back seat is a safer position. When Luce and I first had Mireille at home, we disliked intensely having her facing rearward in the back seat. Then we realized that we could still inter- act with her: we could hear her and talk to her. And when we all rode together one of us frequently rode in back with her. We took turns. Now that she's over 3, she's completely accustomed to riding in the back seat, and I've never known her to complain about it. Sometimes she asks for company there, and she gets it. ---Pete Kaiser%JAWS.DEC@decwrl.arpa, Kaiser%BELKER.DEC@decwrl.arpa {allegra|decvax|ihnp4|ucbvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-jaws!kaiser DEC, 77 Reed Road (HLO2-1/N10), Hudson MA 01749 617/568-5441
rodean@hpfclo.UUCP (rodean) (03/14/85)
Although it is safer in the backseat, we put our daughter in front when
she was very young because at that time, the kid faces backwards in
most carseats. It seemed to us (and articles have pointed this out) that
some sort of human interaction is beneficial. How would you like to
stare at the backseat for any length of time. Booorrrriiiinnnnngggg!
When she grew enough, we put her in the backseat facing forward.
Bruce Rodean
{ihnp4|hplabs}!hpfcla!rodean