safest way to arrange car seats?

[4littleones]

I am expecting next baby and have a Touran (compact MPV). We are torn between putting eldest child in one of the boot seats or in the front seat with the air bag turned off.

does anybody know how I find out which is safest? I tried a quick Google but didn't get too far. although will do again later when I'm home. currently just stuck in traffic and trying to find out as much as I can.

The other 3 children will be in a row in the middle row of the car.

I'd go for the front seat rather than the boot, where possible.

I thought it was only for rear facing car seats that you had to disable the airbag?

Depends on how old the child is and whether you have to get any other adults in the car. I have a zafira which is the same platform as your car and there is no way an adult will fit in the boot seats!!

I regularly travel with both older kids in the boot seats, without the airbag the risks are pretty similar I would assume as it all depends on where the impact of an accident was

Not sure if it helps but there's some airbag info here

Thanks for the replies.

Wheresthelight - We have had 7 adults in the car and it's been OK. The boot seats are squashed for an adult but it's defiantly do able.

My theory with putting the child in the front is that we would only need to use a boot seat when all of us are in the car, and me or DH could just go in the boot for that trip (we both share the same car, and usually only one of us if we are just dropping off to clubs etc). Where as if the child was in the boot, they would go in the boot in every journey because we are not going to want to faff about moving car seats all the time.

All children are still in car seats, older 2 being in high back boosters. Then newborn car seat and Toddler group 1 car seat for DC3

It's so confusing. I was hoping to find a good link to somewhere with some proper solid info. But doesn't seem to be much around. Unless I am being stupid!

I don't have any evidence, but am quite car seat conscious and have been thinking about seat positions recently (also a touran, but expecting DC3 not 4!).

I would put the oldest in the HBB in the front, with the airbag on and the seat as far back as possible.

I wouldn't want a DC to routinely travel forward facing in the rear seats, as their head would be so close to the rear windscreen an as far as I know there are no airbags to cover the rear screen in the same way there are curtain airbags on the side at the front/middle and front airbags at the front. If the eldest was rear facing I would consider the back row, because their head/body would be further from the back of the car.

Another option (and probably the one if go for) would be to put your infant carrier in the front seat (airbag off) and put the oldest three in the middle row. The infant carrier is the safest seat you have in the car, so could be the best contender for the front seat?

It might be worth giving the In Car Safety Centre in Milton Keynes a ring to ask for advice. They are passionate about car seat safety an have fitted seats in all sorts of configurations in all sorts of cars. Even if MK is a long way from you, they might advise on the phone?