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Original poster

young kids in the front of the car-I have a kneejerk reaction against it, but am I being daft?

41 replies

fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 08:54

It'd save us about 7k

But I don't feel comfortable with it.

What do you all think? Is it safe?

(I know-olden days-17 kids in back of volvo-but there IS more traffic on the road these days and also-they are my kids and this is one of my few neuroticisms)

OP posts:
3sEnough · 24/05/2007 08:59

I believe that you are allowed the kids in the front if no airbag/or off, if they have a suitable car seat and if you can't fit them in the back. My children regularly have to go in the front with seats or seatbelt adjusters - I ahve a running battle with dd1 as to NOT going in the front even when dd2, ds and/or school friends are not in car. Difficult - long journeys though are always in the back, no matter what - we can't fit 3 booster seats across the back though so we're slightly stuffed too!

Ladymuck · 24/05/2007 09:00

Personally I think that having 3 in the back but not all in ISOFIX is safer than ISOFIX in the front (in terms of what would happen on impact). Plus you can't have a passenger airbag in the front which will make it less safe for any adult passengers who may use the car.

fishie · 24/05/2007 09:01

when ds was in rear facing seat it would only fit in our front seat, so i was stuck on my own in the back (to the amusement of many) it did look a bit silly, like i had been relegated by the arrival of little prince baby.

i'm sure it is perfectly safe and possibly even safer for rear facing, so your new arrival [congratulations!] could go in the front.

Chattyhan · 24/05/2007 09:01

I have this issue at the moment because i pick up a friends dd and i'm expecting a new baby. I have a passenger airbag that cannot be switched off despite being lied to by the salesman. The manual says a child in a forward facing seat can sit there as long as seat is as far back as it will go! But i don't want DS (2.5) to think he can sit in the front whenever he wants! We can't get a new car cos tied into finance agreement.

I would say it depends on the age of the child/airbag fitted/will they open the door!

Advice says the safest place for a child is the back seat but 7k is a lot of money!

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:02

we can turn our airbag off and on though

hmm

am wondering if we could possibly fit a booster in the back.

we have a very tiny skoda fabia

its not possible to retrofit isofix, is it?

OP posts:
3sEnough · 24/05/2007 09:03

Ladymuck - I'm not talking about isofix car seats. You can turn off our front airbag so it's not an issue - we bought the car partly because of that....and didn't get a volvo because of that (at the time!)

LIZS · 24/05/2007 09:03

You can legally use a forward facing seat with an airbag if you put the car seat all the way back although it is far from ideal. In some European countries it is illegal to carry under 8's in the front at all and the recommendation is that the back seat is safer.

Ladymuck · 24/05/2007 09:05

Your oldest is 4.5? Will be 5 by the time baby is born? Depends on their size, but I supsect that the period of time that you would have 3 in proper huge seats could be quite small (possibly mere weeks).

Are they in ISOFIX now?

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:05

7k is a feck of a lot and I do not have it. It will probably have to go on the mortgage so, in effect, we will pay for it 3x and we cannot then convert the loft (which we need for extra bedrooms ANYWAY)

BUT

my god if i was in a crash and anything happened...

I was crashed into about a year ago, just me in the car thank GOD, parked at the lights and the driver behind me didn't stop.

The cars in front AND behind were both write offs, had to be towed off the road. I drove away, shaken but only about £500 worth of bumper damage.

OP posts:
Ceolas · 24/05/2007 09:06

Does it have to be isofix? And does isofix make a difference to fitting 3 seats in the back?

If you are neurotic (as I am) you are more likely to make sure the seats are fitted correctly, non?

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:06

no he'll be 4.5 when next baby arrives. dd will be 2.7

I am not so concerned re legalities, its safety . Though legal stuff obv helpful.

OP posts:
Ceolas · 24/05/2007 09:07

It is very worthwhile shopping around for car seats. There are variationsin the width. Even 3 brand new car seats would be cheaper than a new car.

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:08

yes i am not clear if isofix just makes them more likely to be accurately fitted

The seats won't actually leave the car.

So hmm am not sure

ds is rather small so not sure if he could go in a booster

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 24/05/2007 09:08

3senough - sorry I read both of Fillyjonk's posts (on her other one she states that ISOFIX is non-negotiable for her), so that is the context of my comment - my post cross-posted with yours, it is not meant to criticise any decision that you might make.

Chattyhan · 24/05/2007 09:08

Can you try fitting the car seats in the back i saw a peugeot 106 recently with 3 stage 1 car seats in the back!!!!! Not sure how they did it or if special thin seats!

I know what you mean about a kneejerk reaction i personally would avoid it if i could especially with my DS so young.

Even if you had to buy new slim car seats it would certainly be less than 7k

If this is for a newborn then a rear facing seat in the front may be an option. With airbag turned off. You can also tend to the baby easier - they can see you!

The older kids then can't argue about sitting in the front.

Ceolas · 24/05/2007 09:09

Booster or highback/booster makes no difference. It's the width of the seat that is important.

Ladymuck · 24/05/2007 09:10

ISOFIX is a 2fold benefit - the seats will be a) correctly fitted (90% aren't!) and b) in the event of a collision the carseat shouldn't move from the seat of the car. But if you are sufficiently paranoid I would expect that you can ensure that your seats are in the 10% of correctly fitted ones.

Ceolas · 24/05/2007 09:10

For ig stage 1 seats, M&P protec and Britax freeway (I think) are a bit narrower. Infant seats vary hugely in width too.

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:11

oh gosh, really am not trying to criticise anyone else's decision

I NEED to know my kids are safe in the car. Partly because I have been in several crahses that weren't my fault. Partly because I have know young children be killed in crashes. Its quite a personal thing

OP posts:
Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:13

i am trying to remember what we have

we have a 3 yo Britax and a maxi cosi

there doesn't seem to be any more space

oh god this is a hard decision.

do i bankrupt myself to make my kids that bit extra safe?

OP posts:
morningpaper · 24/05/2007 09:15

fillyjonk it really depends how your car is hit

statistically, the back seat is thought to be safer

We were hit a while ago and the car went into our back passenger door - if it had been going any faster it would have been BAD NEWS for DD1 who was in the back on that side at the time

I have always had mine in the front because they were both very sicky babies and I was worried about choking (which happened once and I had to emergency stop, get DD1 out and and bang on the back - god it was AWFUL) - also they were both awful in the car and I liked to have them to hand to comfort them and talk to them.

Chattyhan · 24/05/2007 09:17

If i were you i would put new baby in front in rear facing seat and the other children in the back - when approaching age when baby will need to be forward facing i would try several seat combinations to find a way to get the 3 in the back - your DS1 may be in a booster then which may lead to more possible combinations - if couldn't do it would then research a new car.

Obviously IMO

Original poster
fillyjonk · 24/05/2007 09:18

okay but then i have another question

where does dp go?

OP posts:
morningpaper · 24/05/2007 09:20

in the boot

Chattyhan · 24/05/2007 09:22

tow him behind on roller blades!

It is a squash but i've got adult in between 2 car seats in the back although not very comfy!

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