Car seat placement

So today one of my friends came in my car and commented that dd's car seat which I have the base behind me should be in the middle. Is this true? Dh says no. Curious as to how others have theirs.

Car seat placement

The middle is the safest place for *some* cars, because it is away from both doors, so less likely to be reached in a collision. But other cars, it would be unsafe in the middle for a variety of reasons. For example, it my husband's old car (Toyota Solara), the middle seat has a hump, which would make the seat unstable if placed there. Your car's manual should tell you the safest position for the carseat.

Car seat placement

I would check the carseat manual and your car's manual. In both of our cars we use the passenger side bc in the middle the latches are not the standard width apart. If you are going to put it behind your seat also make sure when you put the infant seat in it won't touch the back of your seat.

Re: Car seat placement

Re: Car seat placement

As others said the middle is not necessarily the safest but I would put it behind the passenger as opposed to behind the driver

Re: Car seat placement

My DD was (and still is) behind the passenger seat. Baby #2 will be behind the driver seat. I felt the middle seat was impractical for me having an SUV. It was too hard getting her in and out with the seat in the middle, I like the ease of being on the sides.

ETA - I believe we also didn't have the LATCH in the middle seat.

Message edited 2/19/2013 7:56:05 PM.

Re: Car seat placement

i have an SUV as well. its a new lease so i will def check the manual. didn't even think to do that! thanks ladies!

Car seat placement

At the hospital they told me the middle. But I have it on the passenger side because of how it fits...

Re: Car seat placement

my SUV doesnt allow for placement in the middle. We had it installed at a car sear even and they told us to install it on the passenger side

Re: Car seat placement

DS is 2, but i have his seat on the passenger side vs behind me. I like it there because when i'm driving by myself with him (which is most of the time, i'm a SAHM) its easier for me to turn and see what hes doing, or hand him something or whatever.

Re: Car seat placement

Middle or passenger side are best- behind the driver is the area of the car most likely to be impacted in a crash

Re: Car seat placement

I was told when we had ours installed that the middle is the safest, and that the middle with the regular lap belt there is better than a side with the LATCH (i.e. position supercedes LATCH). Of course, this probably is not the case if you have a hump in the middle, etc., but I'd assume those are rare cases.

Second best was behind passenger, I was told, as there are less collisions to that side of the car?

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Middle is considered the safest in MOST cars, not all. In our SUV, you can't put a car seat in the middle. Consult your manual, but if it has the spot for the tether and latch it should be fine.

We've had 2 car seats in our back seat and while they say behind the passenger is best in my SUV, who's to say that the other child behind me in the drivers seat is less protected. KWIM.

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I have always kept my DS's carseat in the middle in both my car and DH's jeep. I just feel like its the safest spot for him.

Re: Car seat placement

In my car (SUV) it is behind the passenger seat. In DH's car (smaller sedan) it is in the middle.

Car seat placement

I think it really depends on the car...and if your car has latch system...if you want to use the system, etc. When we got it inspected we don't have the latch in the middle and due to a bump in the middle it wasn't the best place in our car. So it all depends on the car itself. We have a Kia sportage and it is behind the passenger