SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner

Infant seat position. (For all the Moms/Dads out there)

4K views 20 replies 19 participants last post by  ryan in texas 
#1 ·
I'm about to become a first-time Dad, and I need some help. I'm trying to install the infant seat in my car. Should I put it in the middle, behind the passenger, or behind me? I'm also having a problem that the seat is a little big and hits the seat in front of it. Anyone have experience with infant seats? Please, I could use your input.
 
#3 ·
We never put him in the middle. Always behind us. Our seat fits, but sometimes the passenger seat is too far back. I'm 5'11" and prefer a more "posture correct" seating position, so he fits behindme as well.

As far as installation, We used to use the base, but got sick of trasnfering it to either car, then realized they are made to just buckle in to any belt. We just do that now. He's snug and safe.
 
#4 ·
Re: (mofolicious)

Behind passenger makes sense because of ease to see/reach. But, the seat behind the driver was always considered the "safety seat" because it offers the most statistically safe seat in the car in an accident. At least that's the rumor my friends and I always believed in growing up. Can't remember where that quasi-factual piece of information originated.. lol
 
#6 ·
Re: (thisdothack)

Quote, originally posted by thisdothack »
Behind passenger makes sense because of ease to see/reach. But, the seat behind the driver was always considered the "safety seat" because it offers the most statistically safe seat in the car in an accident. At least that's the rumor my friends and I always believed in growing up. Can't remember where that quasi-factual piece of information originated.. lol

usually right turns involve less risk and are easier to perform than left turns. turning opens up the side of the car for impact. so turning right the left side(driverside) gets exposed and on a left turn the right side (pass side) gets exposed. id say driver side but i can imagine it would be nice to look and check up on them.
 
#7 ·
Re: (kentis19)

"Infant" is the operative word here. Here in the States many recommend that infants be placed in an approved infant carrier, rear facing and in the center. My advice is to research this through non car enthusiast sites. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif
 
#8 ·
Re: (EricV)

The center of the rear seat is usually safest since it is farthest from a possible side impact, but only if your car seat fits well in that position. Any position in the rear seat is acceptable unless prohibited by the vehicle or child seat owner's manual. The seat behind the passenger may be slightly safer than the seat behind the driver, since it allows you to unload the child on the curb side, allows you to see your child more easily from the driver's seat and is very slightly less likely to be hit on that side in a side impact. There is also a small risk that a front seat-back could collapse in a severe rear-end crash, and the passenger seat is less likely to be occupied by a heavy adult who could crush a car seat in this situation.

http://www.car-safety.org/

(cheers)
 
#10 ·
Re: (Modorf)

My son is 2 and he has been in the middle seat since they day he came home from the hospital. We had a THP officer speak at a parenting workshop we went to. He said that the center rear is the safest for infant carriers, and car seats. When they are booster seat size the outside seats are fine.
 
#11 ·
Re: (mofolicious)

Quote, originally posted by mofolicious »
We used to use the base, but got sick of trasnfering it to either car, then realized they are made to just buckle in to any belt. We just do that now. He's snug and safe.

We just leave the car seat in one car. Whoever has the kiddo drives the V70, the other one gets the S40.

When my daughter was an infant we kept her rear facing behind the passenger. That way we could move the passenger seat forward so the giant car seat/base combo would fit comfortably. Also you could actually reach back there if needed. And get a car mirror so you can spy them in the rear facing seats.

Now she sits forward facing in the back middle seat in a giant Britax Boulevard seat.
 
#12 ·
Re: (Modorf)

Quote, originally posted by Modorf »
The one annoying this is that the center back of my V50 doesn't have LATCH points. I end up needing to use the seat belt to anchor my son's infant seat.

I just use the inboard latch points for the left and right seats to mount the car seat in the center rear.
 
#13 ·
Re: Infant seat position. (laser8302)

Rear facing, center seat, if it can be installed securely there. In my wife's car we could, in my car we couldn't (neither is a Volvo). But having rear facing is much more important than left, center, or right. In the U.S. especially, children get turned forward facing much too early.

Incidentally, in Europe, or at least in Sweden, it's very common to have the child rear facing in the front passenger seat (with airbag disabled).
 
#16 ·
Re: (pukka)

I put my son in the middle as i have concerns about the side airbags going off while he is right next to them .... Also it makes perfect sense to pu tthe child in the middle considering if you were to be hit from the side he would be safest in the middle IMO >...
 
#17 ·
Re: (jdsr917)

I've gotta agree with the middle seat here.
We were involved in a passenger side collision that pushed the side door in our s40. I can't be certain our little girl would have been unaffected by the impact should she had been situated on the passenger side.

The s40 was a total loss, but everyone else walked away unscathed.
 
#18 ·
Re: (timewstr)

Quote, originally posted by timewstr »


I just use the inboard latch points for the left and right seats to mount the car seat in the center rear.

I hope you see this! I recently learned this is not a good idea. There are metal bars connecting the two latch anchors behind the side seats, but there is no bar in the center connecting the two anchors on either side of the center seat. In an accident the the two separate bars could torque inwards causing the seat to actually move forward.
 
#19 ·
Re: (megabeth)

Dont have a child, but wanted to say congrats http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

From what i have read and seen working on volvos middle position seems to be the most common. Assuming from the research posted with a volvo that has side impact air bags i feel it would be the safest position.
 
#20 ·
Re: (ForceFed Motorsports)

The safest place is in the rear center position. If you must move it to the side, I would pick the passenger side for two reasons.

1) There is always someone in the drivers seat but not always the passenger. Remember, you have whiplash protection and the seat will ride back and lean backward in a rear end collision. I have first hand experience.

2) Statistically there are fewer serious passenger side impacts.

I had to move my youngest's seat to the passenger side so that there would be enough room for my other 2 kids. Remember to set the child safety lock. My youngest did open the door while my wife was driving down the road.

The seat should not be contacting the backs of the front seats. For front facing, their feet should not be touching the seat backs.

Congtats and Keep 'em safe
Stan
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top