Laws on 3 car seats in the back?

[rightontime]

Thinking of getting a xsara picasso or a fiat mulitpla. Can I legally put 3 child seats across the back. I have heard that due to the possiblity of side impact that it might be illegal in some cars?

Anyone got a link that might help or any info?

We have a Grand Renault Scenic and have 3 car seats across the middle row of seats.

I havent ever seen anything about 3 seats in row being illegal. I think that there is evidence that children in child seats are safer in the back of a car than in the front.

I've never heard of a "legal" problem, but you need to make sure the seat is wide enough for three seats, and the seatbelts are adequate.

With car-seats/boosters needed up til the age of 9 or so, most parents of more than 2 children must be doing this all the time.

Thanks everyone. I have heard that people do it but I have also heard of a friend of a friend who got stopped and fined for having 3seats on the back in a row. Don't know what car she had though.

that makes no sense at all.

By law, the children must be in seats unless the fitting of 2 prevent the third from being safely fitted.

You'll be fine with 3 seats in the back of a Multipla.

They are all "proper" width seats - there's not a narrow seat iyswim?

I did it and it was fine

well, it isn't illegal, but i guess it has to be safe iyswim

so if you have 3 wedged in and they're touching the doors then you could potentially be in trouble i guess

I had a Honda frv which is similar in the 3/3 set up.. 3 seats fitted easily - 2 maxi cosi rodi and 1 mc tobi. Currently have smax with same set up.

The friend should have gone to court and challenged the fine because actually the law states they only have to be in car seats if there's room I believe so your friend was going beyond the call of duty and shouldn't have been fined. Unlike the woman I saw holding a baby on her lap in the front seat yesterday, those people always seem to get away with it though.

Had a carseat safety officer from the County Council inspect our seats... 2 years ago? 3 across the back in a vehicle that many (on MN) would say was unsuitable for 3 across; Council Man was satisfied, had no negative comments, just reminders how to make sure we kept them best fitting.

yes, and also if you have side impact curtains it's sometimes not advisable to have 3 across the back because you have to have a certain amouint of space between the side of the car seat and the area where hte curtain will inflate.

so that may have been an issue.

the friend of a friend could equally have been fined for having them in unsuitable seats maybe?? rather than the number of seats?

Have got a Picasso and three seats would fit easily across the back without touching doors or being squashed together.

I've even had two car seats and an adult in the back of mine and there is still loads of room.

This is one of the things I love about the Picasso

I have had lots of combinations of 3 car seats (have twins) in a Picasso

2 baby seats and a stage 2
1 baby seat a stage 2 and a highbacked booster
2 stage 2's and a highbacked booster

then dc4 arrived and we changed to a C8

My DD's were 5 & 2 when DS was born so we bought a Fiat Multipla as obviously we needed 3 separate age appropriate seats. All 3 sat in the back with plenty of room between the seats and doors and held in with proper seatbelts. That car has been a godsend. It's got a spare seat for friends, and even enough room in the boot for a pram and a weeks shopping. Cant ask for more than that!!

Nobody has ever stopped us to say we couldn't have all those seats in the back. I thought that is what they were designed for?

What car was it? Without knowing that it's impossible to judge! If it was a small car then it's possible the car seat may not be fitted correctly I suppose?

I have also seen 3 car seats wedged into a Ford Ka rear seat. Because they were wedged in, apparently that would be good enough in a crash

There is a loophole which says the oldest child doesn't have to be in a carseat if they are over 3 and you can't fit one in the middle seat.

The carseats have to be correctly fitted as well so I suppose if they were jammed in incorrectly it could be a problem.