Where does the car seat go?

[mom2soapy]

I have a 2002 Toyota Camry with a Britax Decathlon with latch and the tether in the back. My question is, where does the seat go? I've seen countless cars and trucks with the car seats installed behind the passenger side or driver's side which to me, in the situation where there is a side impact, I would think that would be dangerous, yet I also see many people with their car seats in the middle of the backseat, which is where ours is but then again, there is nothing in front of the seat to stop it should there be a frontal collision. Can someone tell me where I should have my seat for the safest position?

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Britax Decathlon - Click for more info Like its predecessors the Britax Roundabout and the Britax Marathon, the Britax Decathlon is built around two core ideals: safety and comfort. Its easy to see that the Decathlon is comfortable: it's loaded with a 3-position crotch strap, patented HUGS harness system, plush (and washable!) seat cover, belly pad, removable toddler head pillow, and an infant positioning system for newborn babies. These features provide a comfortable, adjustable fit as your child grows - all the way from 5 to 65 pounds.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[talalyn]

It really depends on your situation. I have always placed my daughter (or the youngest passenger of the vehicle on that day) in the middle, but now with my mothers new vehicle, an Acura TL, we had to move her Triumph over to the side because my mother literally had NO visibility out of her back window. Backing up was just not an option. I checked with the CPS instructor that always helps me install my seats when I run into problems and he told me that the side was fine when visibility or fit in the center is an issue.
Some seats have a hump in the middle that dont allow for a good fit as well.

[MnMadhouse]

Middle is usually the safest, but if you cannot get a good install, and can, say behind the passenger seat, then put the child there. Honestly, you don't WANT her/him to hit anything in front of her/him. The backs of seats have no padding and are usually just metal and springs...something you don't want your child to hit in a collision. The seatbelt or LATCH is what is holding the child back. That is why it is IMPERATIVE to have your seat properly installed. If there is too much movement of the seat, it could actually cause the seat to malfunction and not properly hold your child in.

DEFINITELY have your seat checked out by a certified technician!

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[Papooses]

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)

[MnMadhouse]

thanks papoose--I was in a hurry yesterday and I thought I had typed USUALLY in there!!! Gone to edit.