Hi all
Am in a bit of a dilemma about what to do re.the safe parameters of children and safety in cars.
I have a 3 month old who absolutely hates his car seat - screams and gets himself in an absolute state. As my 8 year old's school is a 30 minute drive away and we have a car with an airbag that can't be disabled that means that he is often having to try to calm his brother/put his fingers in his ears when all else fails (his not the baby's!) and it's very stressful for all concerned - added to which is the days when we liftshare and another 8 year old is in the car. They're both very responsible, lovely kids but it's not fair to expect them to have to deal with the high stress levels that go along with a screaming baby at the beginning of their day.
When my 8 year old was a baby I had him next to me in the front passenger seat in his rear-facing seat and that was great because, even though he'd get stressed on occasion, being able to talk to him/put a hand on him etc. was really helpful and it rarely got to the stress-point that it does with my 3 month old.
The dilemma is the safety issues presented by the airbag. Most things I read, and there really doesn't seem to be one consensus of opinion here, suggests that no child seat should be in the front. Also, about 15 years ago my dad was responsible for a car accident in which a passenger in the other car died - apparently the seatbelt was badly positioned and caused the injuries which an otherwise relatively 'minor' impact initiated so I'm hyper-sensitive about this issue (the mother of the other 8 year old we give a lift to, e.g. obviously thinks I'm a bit bonkers - her kids regularly sit in the front). Does anyone know about the safe parameters of airbag safety and children (i.e. the 'under 12' issue - is this based on height or on the fact that children's bodies are more fragile generally under this age?).
Our car (a Chrysler) is, ironically, the first one we've ever had to sail through it's MOTs and is a really sturdy one to drive and we can't afford a new one (and wouldn't actually know where to start) but obviously, if it's safer to get a new one (and the screaming baby in back has got to be a major safety issue!) then we'll find the money from somewhere. So any recommendations here welcome??
My husband is back at work full time in a couple of weeks so I'm going to have to do the school run a few days a week and really want it to be the safest and happiest experience for all concerned so your thoughts/experiences would be hugely appreciated?
Thanks in anticipation!