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Parenting

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Original poster

what side is your (rear facing) car seat on and why?

23 replies

schipo · 05/01/2011 22:12

We're about to fit an isofix car seat (BeSafe iZi Combi) for ds1 and wondering which side it should go on.

If it's on passenger side then we can load and unload him from the pavement, but it means that anyone getting in and out often will be on road side.

Wondering if there's a favorite position for fitting a car seat?

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CarGirl · 05/01/2011 22:14

Can it go in the middle? That is the safest?

DancingThroughLife · 05/01/2011 22:16

Ours goes behind the front passenger seat, as that's the only one it fits behind.

It won't go in the middle in ours as we'd have to move the driver's seat forward, and then the driver wouldn't fit in

LaTourEiffel · 05/01/2011 22:20

I put mine behind the drivers side (because at the time I couldn't find any firm info about anywhere better than anywhere else).

I put it there because I had one of those mirrors that fixes on the head rest so you can see baby using the rear view mirror / head rest mirror combo.

That worked best set up on my side of the car.

I don't think we'd have gotten very far with either of the DS without the rear view mirror - I'd have been checking every few minutes...for DS1 because he was my PFB and for DS2 because he had an HIE (stopped breathing for a long time after being born and so I naturally worried).

Cargirl - do you have any links, its a bit after the event for me, but would be interesting reading?

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aPixieInMyCaramelLatte · 05/01/2011 22:47

We first put it in the middle because, as CarGirl say's that is the safest position.

Now however it's behind the passengers seat because, well, that's just the side we moved it to when it came the time to fit the infant carrier as well.

Original poster

schipo · 05/01/2011 22:59

our car doesn't give the option to fit it in the middle

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indigobarbie · 05/01/2011 23:05

I put mine (same seat izi combi) behind the passenger seat. This was easier for me, as this is the side that is nearest the house, and where I park the neighbour's car is too close to the driver's side for me to get DS1 in the seat without shifting the car etc etc.
It works for me. I am not sure about the middle being the safest, but on the booklet for the fitting for my car model I am sure it only mentioned the two rear seats or the front passenger with airbag off. I have seen on the carseat.se site that they consider the front passenger seat to be the safest?

stickersarecurrency · 05/01/2011 23:05

We were discussing carseats last week with one of the guys who trains Halfords staff to fit them and he said the youngest child should always go on the passenger side. Assume if you have an only the middle would be preferable.

indigobarbie · 05/01/2011 23:06

ps, don't mean to imply that cargirl is wrong, I just meant that I actually am not sure.

indigobarbie · 05/01/2011 23:06

Just realised I couldn't fit mine in the middle seat either, the transmission tunnel thing would be in the way of the support leg.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 05/01/2011 23:07

I can't fit mine in the middle either and like stckers said failing that behind the passenger side.
This makes sense I suppose as we drive on the left hand side of the road so that is the side that doesn't have so many cars going past it thus lessening the likliehood of it being hit.

craftynclothy · 05/01/2011 23:09

Ours went behind the passenger seat, mainly because if it was behind the driver's seat it stopped dh having his seat far enough back.

aPixieInMyCaramelLatte · 05/01/2011 23:27

Is that really true about the youngest being on the passenger side?

Any idea why?

But then I have had really terrible advice on car seats and fitting from halfords so probably wouldn't trust the guy who trains them either.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 05/01/2011 23:33

I think it is just that apart from the middle seat the passenger side is statistically safer than the right hand side suppose they mean it in the way that the adult should always use the la belt if that is all there is and give the children the 3 point belts.

thisisyesterday · 05/01/2011 23:35

i have teh besafe too and it's on the passenger side.

the only reason it is there is because we have 2 rear-facing seats, and one highback booster using the seatbelt

we needed DS1's highback booster to be on the side with only one seatbelt plug... if you see what I mean? so that when he is unplugging himself he doesn't accidentally unplug the other car seat

i don't know if that makes sense

If I had only one child I would put it in the middle if possible as that's the safest place.

if it couldn't go in the middle i would put it on the passenger side so that I could pass things to my child if necessary, and see them more easily in the mirror (i have a mirror on the back seat so i can see them all)

libelulle · 05/01/2011 23:37

We have same seat as you and it has to go on passenger side or dh wouldn't be able to drive the car without his knees doing the steering!

thisisyesterday · 05/01/2011 23:37

yeah actually i reckon passenger side would be safer because that's the side taht will be beside the pavement when you are driving (unless on dual carriageway/motorway in right hand lane)

so less likely to be hit by something coming the other way????

lindy100 · 06/01/2011 08:11

The guy from the council who came to our new parent group to do a car seat safety talk said passenger side is safest, as accidents are less likely to have impact with that part of the car. So I guess it also makes sense that youngest of two should go there - more protection.

Callisto · 06/01/2011 08:23

The fireman/road safety officer who checked DD's car seat said that the passenger side is statistically the safest place for the child to be in case of an accident. He also said keep hard/heavy/sharp stuff in the boot because if the car rolls all of that stuff will be flying around and can cause really nasty injuries.

EauRouge · 06/01/2011 08:44

We have the Britax 2 way elite on the passenger side, same reason as libelulle! And also because we both drive the car and need to adjust the driver's seat a lot, the car seat is tethered to the passenger seat so it can't be adjusted.

CokeFan · 06/01/2011 08:52

Our 2 way elite is behind the driver's seat. DH and I have the same driving position so don't need to move the seat at all.

It's the most convenient for us because of the way we park on our driveway - passenger side would involve getting DD out between cars.

We also have a mirror to see what she's up to.

HettyAmaretti · 06/01/2011 09:06

Our BeSafe iZi Combi is on the passenger side. DP and I are very different heights and so we need to be able to move the drivers seat backward and forwards a lot, adjusting the tether straps each time would be impractical and potentially compromise the safety of the seat.

It's not possible to fit it in the middle because th support leg doesn't fit over the bump.

BertieBotts · 06/01/2011 12:32

The middle seat is the safest because it reduces the risk from side impacts, but it's not possible in many cars. So the passenger side is the second best.

Did you also know that the heaviest person should always travel in the front.

NorfolkNChance · 06/01/2011 12:43

Ours went on the passanger side purely because no suitable seat belt in the middle and DH needs the driver's seat as far back as it can go.

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