Baby Car Seat - where do I put it?

[AlexTasha]

Obviously in the back of a car, but I was wondering if there is any difference between putting in behind the driver or the passenger seat? Does it make any difference in terms of safety etc?
If anyone has any recommendations based on persoanl experience it would be appreciated, thanks! :)

Passenger side is safer for getting baby in and out if you're parked at the side of the road.

Not sure how I know this but apparently the safest place in the car is behind the passenger seat.

The back is obviously best if you have airbags in the front too - as they are dangerous and potentially fatal.

Someone told me that behind the passenger seat is slightly safer (something to do with statistically speaking theres a higher risk in a car accident of a collison into drivers side of the car i think). Though of course if you have more than one child then of course they have to sit behind the drivers seat. Im sure someone on here will have better advice (and the advice i was given might well be rubbish!) but that stuck with me so as we only have one baby he goes behind the passenger seat.

Thanks for your responses. Looks like he will be going behind the passenger seat from what you have all said.....

actualyl i thought the safest place was the middle, assuming you have a middle seat with a 3 point seatbelt as it reduces the risk of injury in a side impact crash

Sorry to hijack but what if you've got 2 children - do I put the baby behind the passenger seat and move DS to behind the driver, or leave DS behind the passenger seat and put the baby behind the driver?

Thanks :)

put the most vulnerable child in the safest position

thisisyesterday got it spot on. If you have a proper 3 point seatbelt in your middle seat-then this is actually the safest place to be. Then behind the passenger, then behind the driver. We have 3 (nearly 4) DC's and the eldest has always been moved to a lesser safe position each time a new baby is born. That sounds terrible written down but as has been said the most vulnerable child has to go in the safest part of the car.

Thank you

So behind the passenger seat is safer from an impact / likelihood of collision point of view rather than just getting them in to the car? I wasn't sure whether the thing about putting them behind the passenger side was because that's normally the kerb side so you're not stood in the road whilst opening the door / putting them in. Obviously I still mean their safety, not me being stood in the road.

Not sure of I've explained that clearly

biscuits No worries about hijacking!
I am completely new to this, I didnt think you could put Isofix in the middle seat? Is Isofix not the safest? If the middle seat is safest then what kid of base should I use? Thanks!

Its a minefield, Isofix offers the safest fitting-doesn't follow that they are the safest seats. If you fit a normal one as per instructions they are also very safe.

Isofix in the middle?? No idea if I'm honest have never had isofix.

I have never used a base either so can't help you there I'm afraid either.

some cars have isofix points in the middle others don/t.

an isofix car seat is not necessarily any safer than a belted car seat as long as the belted one has been fitted correctly
isofix merely prevents a seat from being fitted incorrectly

i think that the drivers side is more "dangerous" because you are more likely to be hit on that side because it's the side next to the other lane of traffic, whereas the passenger side will, obviously, usually be next to the side of the road (unless you're overtaking on a motorway!)

Not wanting to butt in but yes behind the passenger seat is the safest place to put baby and you should place the smallest there. I have however been told not to place a baby in the middle seat even if it has a 3 point seat belt etc, as they are prone to get hit with objects if you have an accident, because of the gap between the two seats.
I always put our DD in the passenger side anyway