Quote:
Originally Posted by MnMadhouse  Middle is always the safest |
. . . when the carseat fits correctly according to both carseat + vehicles manuals
I should mention that movement itself is not the main cause of injury during a crash. There are 3 phases to a crash: the vehicle crashes into an object (another vehicle or building or tree or pedestrian), the occupants crash into the vehicle interior (harness/seatbelt or front seatback or dashboard or another human occupant), the internal organs crash into the skeletal frame.... This sounds pretty graphic & the truth is that even low speed crashes are quite violent
It's the second phase of the crash that causes most injury: when the occupant crashes into the vehicle interior.
I pause here to also explain that our Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require a maximum of 28" head excursion. This means, there should be more than 28" between the back of the vehicle seat that the carseat is installed on (the part of the seat that an adult's back would rest against) & the back side of the front vehicle seat (where there is often a storage pocket). The more room there is, the less risk kiddo has of crashing into the front seatback from which he/she would suffer spinal injury
The center is usually the safest place because of the fact that there is not a front seat in their way (& also because it is the furthest place from the sides). It's the farthest place away from any surface so the child is less likely to crash into the vehicle interior.
However, as I mentioned at the beginning, correct use is key. If the carseat does not fit the center properly according to both manuals then either outboard position may be preferable (or you may need a new carseat)