Car Seat Positioning

lcunningham · July 2011

With #2 to be here any day...where would you put the infant seat? Best behind the driver or the passenger? I am trying to think about safety for both and it is making my head hurt!

mlf625 · July 2011

DS was forward facing when DD was born, so we put him in the supposed safest seat - behind the driver. DD went behind the passenger. I preferred that, anyway, because when we had to park on a street, I was getting the baby out on the sidewalk side. I could also more easily reach back behind my own seat to give DS a cup or whatever.

lcunningham · July 2011

Thanks! This is what I thought but I keep second guessing myself. I would keep DS (FF) in the middle but the infant would not fit on the side.

meg1974 · July 2011

I was wondering about this recently too, since DD#2 was just born. I called several places that specialize in this (the hospital car seat safety program and fire department), and they both said to put the infant seat in the middle and toddler seat on either the passenger or driver side.

I asked about what to do when DD #1 is FF, and they said the same thing - put the infant in the middle. They also said there is no difference in safety between behind the driver and behind the passenger seat.

HTH!

dragon_chica · July 2011

meg1974:
I asked about what to do when DD #1 is FF, and they said the same thing - put the infant in the middle. They also said there is no difference in safety between behind the driver and behind the passenger seat.

When PG with #1 we were told by the highway patrolman that was doing the carseat safety presentation that behind the passenger seat is safer. It's safer in terms of taking LO out of the seat since like a pp said that's the side that's facing the sidewalk.

OP, we'll be faced with a similar dilemma as you. As of right now we will probably put DD behind the driver's side and #2 behind the passenger's.

g8trkim · July 2011

If the toddler is FF, put them behind you and the infant behind the passenger. If the toddler is RF, put them behind the passenger and the infant behind you.

saturdaynightdoubletree · July 2011

as long as it's in the backseat you're golden. everyone has there opinions on which side or the middle for different reasons. DD has always been behind the passenger seat - as an infant I found it easier to hand her pacis, etc. while driving. We kept her there when DS was born because he doesn't require much in the car. So his seat is behind the drivers side.

We got in a horrible side impact crash a few weeks ago, and DD's door was where the car was hit. She was fine. The most important thing is to install the seats correctly and buckle your kids in correctly. HTH

lcunningham · July 2011

Thanks! I always stress to DH to put him in correctly. Decisions, Decisions.

wnk1029 · July 2011

Also check the owner's manual for your vehicle -- with our car's LATCH system, you can only do two rear-facing carseats on opposite sides (driver's side and passenger's side) because the LATCH anchors overlap, so you can't have two carseats directly next to each other (one on the side, one in the middle)

Car Seat Positioning

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