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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Car seat laws?

33 replies

Slipp3rs · 10/06/2018 07:56

I have a 7 seater car.

When I’m driving which option do you think is safer

Option 1 - Baby, toddler, 4 year old across middle row and 5 year old in on of the the boot seats. Leaving empty front passenger seat

Or

Option 2 - Baby, toddler, 4 year old across middle row and 5 year old in the front passenger seat leaving boot empty.

Or alternative.

I never know which way round is the safest way travel and I can’t find any advice online.

Thank in advance x

OP posts:
werideatdawn · 10/06/2018 08:00

I think I'd prefer 5 year old in the front with air bag off but I'm not 100% sure. I always feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea of my 5 year old in the boot seats but I don't know why.

Jimdandy · 10/06/2018 08:02

Option 2

auntpoll · 10/06/2018 08:03

I'm another one uncomfortable with the 'boot' seats and avoid using them if I can.

PotteringAlong · 10/06/2018 08:04

Option 2.

SoddingUnicorns · 10/06/2018 08:04

Front seat with airbag off.

Without meaning to sound paranoid, you’re far more likely to be rear ended than anything else (not that you’re likely to crash) and in that instance it’s the boot that would take the impact.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 10/06/2018 08:04

Surely keep the airbag on??

Myotherusernameisbest · 10/06/2018 08:05

What sort of car is it? If the boot seats are very close to back of the car then I'd go for option 2. If boot seats still leave a decent boot behind them then I'd do option 1

ferrier · 10/06/2018 08:06

Not supposed to have the airbag on with a child in any form of car seat.

Answer to op - depends on your boot. My seven seater they'd be safer in the back but it's got boot space behind the rear row of seats.

Myotherusernameisbest · 10/06/2018 08:06

With option 2 if you leave airbag on (assuming child is forward facing) it's recommended to move front seat as far back as it will go

Brighteyesburning · 10/06/2018 08:07

Why would you turn airbag off? That advice is only for rear-facing car seats in the front seat.

Myotherusernameisbest · 10/06/2018 08:15

Brighteyes if an airbag goes off and hits a child's face/head it can fracture their skull and very likely kill them

steff13 · 10/06/2018 08:17

The passenger airbag in my car turns off automatically based on the weight of the seat. I don't know what the weight looking limit is, but when I put my purse and laptop bag on the seat, a light says "passenger airbag off."

Rickytickytembo · 10/06/2018 08:24

Child in back seat. Never put children in front.

4 year old in the middle rather than your toddler.

Madonnasmum · 10/06/2018 08:26

Friend is a firefighter and he advised front seat safer than boot seats.

Rickytickytembo · 10/06/2018 08:31

Have a look at Australian website 'Kidsafe' - www.kidsafe.com.au.

There is a PDF on child restraints which says that for an under 12 year old, sitting in the rear seat is twice as safe as sitting in the front seat.

Eatsleepworkrepeat · 10/06/2018 08:33

I think air bags cause more harm than good up to the age of 14 - bones are softer in children so much more likely to suffer damage from the impact of the bag.

Original poster
Slipp3rs · 10/06/2018 08:33

Thanks all - Wow really mixed responses 🤔

Conflicting advice about air bags being turned on and off. That’s serious life saving information. Surely loads of people must have been in similar situations so I’m surprised there isn’t any guidance.

All children are forward facing except newborn 👶

OP posts:
AvoidingDM · 10/06/2018 08:37

I would go for the front seat. Boot seats tend to be very close to the back of the car.

TrickyTrickTrick · 10/06/2018 09:12

what car do you have? I have a 7 seater but it is what i call a 'permanent' 7 seater - it has boot space behing and the rear row of seats are the same as the middle.

I have 2 DC on the back row and 2 in the middle. I do not travel DC in the front unless the car is filled to capacity (friends home for tea etc) and then it is my oldest DC in the front with the seat pushed as far back as possible.

if the back row are occassional seats/take all the boot space I would expect it would be safer to use the front seat.

TrickyTrickTrick · 10/06/2018 09:14

if you have to use the front, considering the ages of your DC i would put the baby rear facing in the front with the airbag off. (my oldest DC is 8 hence i put him in the front on occassion)

welshweasel · 10/06/2018 09:17

The safest way to travel in the front is rear facing (well that the safest way to travel full stop). I’d put the biggest child that is still rear facing in the front with you (assuming you can turn the airbag off). It’s as safe for a rear facing child to be in the front as it is in the back. I wouldn’t put a forward facing child in the front.

whatwouldbe · 10/06/2018 09:20

why would you put a 5 year old in any booster seat (guess this is what you mean by boot seat)? He should be in a proper child seat.

Do you have 3 sets of Isofix fixtures on the passenger row? if do, put all 3 DC together.

If you cannot fit them all three in the same row, then put 4 & 5 year old in 2nd row in proper child seats not booster seats and baby on passenger seat with airbag switched off.

DragonflyInn · 10/06/2018 09:24

why would you put a 5 year old in any booster seat (guess this is what you mean by boot seat

No. it's a 7 seater car so op means one of the extra seats that's in the boot.

ferrier · 10/06/2018 09:27

I think there are 4 dc.
Booster seat = child seat not booster cushion.
Although my dc were on booster cushions from the age of about 6 to 10ish.

FASH84 · 10/06/2018 09:29

@whatwouldbe No she actually means boot seats, the two seats right at the very back of the car in a 7seater, sometimes they have boot space behind sometimes they don't meaning the seats are the last thing in the car before the back door/Windows. It's likely three child seats won't fit across the middle row, so OP is debating which of the three DCs to put either in the front or the very very back.