Front Pass Side
Jan/110
| Powered by phpBay Pro |
Would u install a car seat rear facing on pass side or front facing in the middle (back seat)?
I have an almost 1 yr old daughter (29" and 23lbs) who is graduating to a convertible car seat this weekend. The backseat of my car is rather fickle and I can't install the car seat rear-facing in the middle (b/c it hits both front seats), so I have to pick a side. I can, however, install it forward facing in the middle of the backseat. Everything I read says that rear-facing and middle of backseat is the safest spot for your child...but if I have to choose between middle of backseat or rear facing, which is the safer choice? Any help is appreciated!
My daughter can be forward-facing as she meets the requirements (1yr + 20lbs), but everything I read says keep them rear-facing for as long as you can b/c it's the safest. The car seat I have now is the Evenflo Triumph and the car is a BMW 335i.
Rear facing is MUCH MUCH safe than forward facing, so she would actually be safer on one of the sides still rear facing. Rear facing offers a lot more protection. The old 20lbs/1 year rule is just that. OLD. It came about in the 1980's when our seats were only capable of rear facing to 20lbs and we didn't know any better. Now we definitely know better and all current convertible seats rear face to at least 30lbs, but its hard getting people to realize this.
Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life!
1)A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age.
2)A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.
3)Current research suggests that children under the age of two years are 75 percent less likely to die or be seriously injured when they are riding rear facing.
4)In a recent article from Injury Prevention, it was found that the odds of severe injury to forward facing children age 12-23 months old was 5.32 times higher than a rear facing child. (Car Safety Seats For Children: Rear Facing For Best Protection; Injury Prevention 2007; 13:398-402.)
It works this way: when you get in an accident and run into something, the car stop suddently, but everything and everyone in the car keeps moving in the direction the car was moving when it stopped, in most accidents, this is forward. So in an accident with a child in a forward facing seat, his head, the heaviest part of the body on babies and toddlers, flies forward very forcefully and easily snaps. If that same child is in a rear facing seat, his head tries to fly forward but is supported by the back of the rear facing seat, so there is no stress put on the child's neck and spine.
Check out this photo album exclusively of rear facing kids, many of them much older than 12 months: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better. And most kids actually prefer to be rear facing b/c they can rest their feet on the vehicle seat back. When they are forward facing, their legs don't receive enough support and will frequently fall asleep.
The outboard positions are not unsafe - just center is safest. But it is only safest if you get a good install there. If you really want her in the center, try out a different convertible seat that may fit right in between the 2 front seats.
I can't find the exact link right now - but there is a thread on car-seat.org that talks about this exact issue -a nd the techs have agreed time and again that rear facing is always safest, no matter the position in the back. OH! Here one is: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=39795
Items Recently Purchased From This Site:
| Powered by phpBay Pro |
No comments yet.
Leave a comment
No trackbacks yet.