Fit carseat behind driver's or passenger seat?

[Superslinger]

Can't decide! Is their a rule to which side you put it?!

Not a rule but we put it driver side so when parked on side of road (assuming parked in direction of traffic) it would be kerb side and so safer when lifting baby out.

I've always done passenger side. IF you think about it though when you park you normally would have passenger side nearest the kerbside unless you are outside uk?

Ours is in the middle - due to having two other children - but I would also put it behind the seat which is parked at the curb - so in my case the passenger (in Australia)

Passenger side for two reasons, the main one being they're not on the traffic side of the car in the event of an accident and also so that you can see the baby in your mirror and it can see you (once it's forward facing). Also you can glance over your shoulder.

I think it's generally accepted passenger side is the safest side in the event of an accident.

In the middle, as it helps with car sickness.

Just to add I meant passenger side in my post for the same reasons. I have no idea why I said drivers as car seat has always been on passenger side!!

Passenger side here too, as it made it easier when parked up, as suggested above, but also when a rear facing seat, we could get a mirror aligned so we could look in either the rear-view mirror, or turn around in the passenger seat, & still see baby ok.

Out of interest, which way round would people organise it with an older DC in the car too?

DC2 will be arriving in a couple of days, so need to fit the baby seat back in the car again. DS1 is 5.5 so still in a seat as well, currently behind passenger for all above reasons as has been since birth. Undecided on whether to swap his seat to behind driver and put baby on passenger side, or just leave DS1 where he is and put baby in behind driver...

most vulnerable passenger goes in safest position (which ideally is back row, middle seat)

so i would put baby on passenger side and move older child behind driver

cheers

Brain is now so addled, struggling to come to simplest decisions!

It doesn't matter what country you're in for what side the curb is on. Either you're sitting on the right and the curb is on the left, or you're sitting on the left and the curb is on your right. Unless of course you have an imported car.

Anyway, I don't necessarily park so the curb is b the passenger side, I just park wherever there's a space so it might be that the curb is on the driver's side. I have a car seat on each side of the car, but if I have one child with me, I usually put them on the driver's side simply because it's easier to not have to walk round the car all the time.

Why is it that the passenger side is safest? I'm interested for when I have another child in December and want to work out how to arrange the three seats.

I think
It's accepted as the safest because the opposing traffic is on driver's side. And collisions tend to be head on or driver's side. Whereas there's frequently only pavement on the passenger's side (obviously not if you're I'm the fast lane of a motorway or overtaking, but for the most part).

I had my Iso fix fitted and they put it in back passenger seat and said it was safest. Should I move it?

We kept DC1 (2.9) on the passenger side & put DC2 (8 weeks) on the driver's side. I know that DC2 is in a more dangerous position if we were to have a crash but it means DC1 is usually on the kerb side. When opening the door etc to get DC1 into the car, there is always a moment when I cannot hold onto her and I'd far rather she was on the kerb for that moment than on the road. I can also pass DC1 stuff from the driver'ss seat if she is on the passenger side but I can't if she is on my side.

I'd never thought of that, but have been lucky enough to only ever have one minor accident, although tha was a woman pulling out on an island and hitting me on the passenger side.
I have two extended rear facing seats in my car so I hope the children would be well protected in any type of collision, I just hope never to find out for sure!

No don't move it. Back passenger side set is where it should go if you can.

On the passenger (pavement) side. You should also ensure that there is at least a hand's width (held flat) gap between the front of the infant car seat and the passenger seat in front - this to prevent the weight of the front seat and passenger from being projected back into the infant car seat in the event of an accident.

Oh thank you Gary, it never seemed "right" to me that the seat was on the drivers side, I'll switch it tomorrow.

Sorry, mine was fitted on drivers side pah! Will move it to the other side. Many thanks. Great thread.

I'm only saying what I've been told in the past and the logic is totally sound to me, I'm not a car seat expert. But it does all make sense that pavement side is least likely to be effected by collision etc... As its isofix it's easy enough to move.

Oh I can't believe I've had my child on the dark wrong side for so long, bloody hell i'm crap!. Thankyou Gary.