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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

How many children can I put in my car???

25 replies

OopsDoneItAgain · 30/01/2011 19:13

I have a Honda Jazz, basically a 4 door small car. I currently have 2 stage 2 car seats (ie roughly age 4-6) in the back and to my mind that is as much as I can get in. (I havent tried to squeeze a stage 0 in the middle, anyone know if it would go..?)

Someone I know gets 4 in her Jazz - one in the front and 3 across the back. I cant work out how, or whether it is ok.

How does everyone else carry children in the car? In particular, is the front seat a no-no? My air bag doesnt turn off.

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chitchatingagain · 30/01/2011 19:17

If your airbag doesn't turn off, then the front seat is definitely a no no. Not sure how you owuld get 3 in the back, unless you got car seats that were a smidgen narrower?

onepieceoflollipop · 30/01/2011 19:19

Yes if air bag doesn't turn off, then a definite no-no. I have read (but would still be wary) that if it is a booster seat for an older child you could use front seat but pull front seat back as far as possibly.

We can fit 3 across the back of a Focus but they are narrow seats. Two high back graco boosters (one of the narrowest on the market) and a tesco voyager booster seat i.e. not high back. It's a very tight squeeze.

Original poster

OopsDoneItAgain · 30/01/2011 19:23

Thanks for replies, my gut instinct was front seat is a no no. Is there some definitive advice/explanation of guidelines somewhere? I have googled but not found anything as yet.

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onepieceoflollipop · 30/01/2011 19:50

I would think this is a reputable source of advice - ROSPA

interesting reassurance re forward facing seats and the redeployment zone.

Original poster

OopsDoneItAgain · 30/01/2011 19:56

Thanks onepiece, thats useful

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onepieceoflollipop · 30/01/2011 19:59

mogs0 · 31/01/2011 18:04

I started a thread recently about carrying a child in the front seat and the information I found was that it was not safe to carry a child under the age of 12 in the front seat if the air bag was on.

I was wondering if I'd fit 3 car seats in the back of my little Clio but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be possible to get 3 seats with 5-point harnesses in there.

conculainey · 31/01/2011 18:09

It depends on the number of seatbelts already fitted to the car, if the car has only got 4 seatbelts then that is maximum number of people that you can legally carry, if 5 seat belts then you can carry 5 people in total. Whether or not you can fit a nother child seat is irrelevant so count the seatbelts and that is your legal limit.

Original poster

OopsDoneItAgain · 31/01/2011 20:20

Conculainey, aren't you talking people rather than children? I couldn't fit 3 stage 2 car seats in the back of my car so can't carry 3 children of that age, despite having 3 seat belts across the back.

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sazm · 31/01/2011 20:45

legally you can put a child in a forward facing seat in the front even with an airbag.the recommendation is that you push the seat as far back as you can.

as for the 3 seats,it depends what stage seats you need?you could go for the narrower highbacked boosters with built in harnesses (theres a few in argos) 3 of them may fit in???

if you needed to fit in a baby seat you could put one of the forward facing seats in the front and the babyin the back,would think it will be a very tight squeeze though x

mrsthomsontobe · 31/01/2011 22:23

If 2 car seats prevent a 3rd being fitted then a child age 3 and above can sit in the middle without a car seat

sazm · 31/01/2011 22:28

yep,thats fine for your own kids,but it would probably depend on the parents views??

giraffescantdirtydance · 01/02/2011 06:58

Are you sure there isn't a way to put air bagoff? Mine you press a button, friends you do something with the key and another friend had to take it to garage and she got it disabled as she was using front seat 99% of time for baby car seat, so made sence rather than get new car to accomodate all seats.

HSMM · 01/02/2011 07:30

I got my airbag disabled, He said he could put a switch in, but then I ran the risk of having it switched the wrong way for adult/child and it was better to know it was off.

sazm · 01/02/2011 11:30

if you were to get the airbag dis-abled,you would be best to contact the dealer and find out how much it will cost (can be anything up to £500ish) then phone your car insurance company and ask how it will affect your premium,as it is classed as a modification,and some companies wont insure you!
i had the same problem and had to change my car as i wanted lo in the front,and it was cheaper to change car than get the airbag disabled!

Original poster

OopsDoneItAgain · 01/02/2011 12:45

Thanks for all the extra info, will look again into disabling the airbag.

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onepieceoflollipop · 01/02/2011 19:29

We have a Ford Focus and I know for a fact (dh asked at the dealer last week) that it costs £140 to fit the airbag switch.

sazm · 01/02/2011 19:53

my friend had a fiesta and ford charged her £400 to fit a switch on hers!
i got quoted £350 to fit one on my old vectra from vauxhall.
all depends how easy access it is for them to fit it.
you also need to get a certificate from them for your insurance company as proof its been properly fitted.
onepieceoflollipop - how much extra is your insurance??

onepieceoflollipop · 01/02/2011 20:34

sazm, we didn't have it fitted. (is that what you meant, i.e. if we turned air bag off then insurance goes up?)

we can fit 3 car seats across back if required (we only have 2 dcs but occasionally dnephew or friend comes in car with us) so we decided against it.

We are fortunate in that we have a second car so if for some reason (family event of whatever) we need to transport more dcs then we can use 2nd car as well.

sazm · 01/02/2011 20:53

ah right, thought you'd had it fitted,i dont know how much it affects insrance,i know there were a few companies who wouldnt even give my friend a quote because she'd had one fitted in her fiesta.

onepieceoflollipop · 01/02/2011 20:56

I'm glad we didn't have it done now you have mentioned about the insurance. :)

My little car is a Ford Ka and there is no passenger air bag (car is only 3 years old btw) so the issue doesn't arise and in fact I can fit 3 dcs in it with less difficulty than in the Focus. (but in Ka 2 are in back and one in front)

sazm · 01/02/2011 21:03

yup when we were buying a car (budget of £1500) there were so many bargains but they all had a passangers airbag,i like my lo in the front,so ended up with an old vectra,as it was the only thing i could find when i needed it,that suited!

Stars22 · 01/02/2011 21:31

we have a ford focus estate and you can fit 3 car seats in the back 3 point harness ones suitable from 0-4(the £29 ones from argo) it is a tight squeeze and annoying putting in but they do fit. now one is older we have him in the middle on a booster instead.

onepieceoflollipop · 01/02/2011 21:38

It is a squeeze isn't it Stars even with the narrow car seats. (and often with 3 my two dds are overexcited about having an extra friend/cousin so they are all wriggling around!)

Mum2Luke · 03/02/2011 21:29

I bought an old T Reg VW Sharan (similar shape to old Galaxy (pre-2006 models) and Seat Alhambra for this reason, being a childminder I am very safety conscious and insist that all children have the correct seats.

I am lucky in that all rear seats are separate to each other and not like a saloon, the only drawback in mine is because of its age it only has a lap belt in the 2nd row, centre seat whereas now all cars have to have centre seatbelts fitted. I can fit all types of seats, rear-facing, forward facing and Graco boosters with highbacks.

Its has been a godsend and am trying to get my other half to buy a new shape Galaxy next ....

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