The installation manuals for the newly installed car seat explain how to use the seat in various positions, whether using a seat belt or installing LATCH. But which seat in your car is the safest?
We will break down seat placement according to your vehicle’s seat configuration.
Table of Contents
Cars with 2 seats
2-Seat Cars The rear seat is considerably safer than a child seat, so safety experts recommend 2-seat baby cars if they can be avoided.
However, if you must seat a child in the front, make sure you deactivate the passenger-side airbag first. To turn off this airbag, most cars have a switch in the glove compartment or on the dash.
See your owner’s manual for more information. Also, it is important to protect the child’s rear face for additional protection as long as the rear face weight limit has not been reached.
Rear Seat Cars
Most extended-cab sedans, SUVs, and trucks have a rear bench with seating for three. You must install your child seat in the centre of the rear bench.
If you have two car seats to install, you will need to consider additional factors.
Auto accident data indicates a slightly lower risk of injury to rear passenger outboard seats. Keep in mind that the difference is very small, and each accident is different.
However, there is another advantage to baby car seats: on the passenger side of the centre seat. If you parallel park your car, the driver looks into traffic. With a baby car seat on the passenger side, you can have your child enter and exit the car on the curb when parallel.
MINIvans and SUVs with 3rd-row seats
Most vehicles with 3rd-row seats have a bench seat in the rear row, but the centre row can have bucket seats or a bench.
If you are installing a single car seat, the closer to the centre of the vehicle the seat can be placed, the better. For cars with a bench in the centre row, install the seat in the centre of the row’s centre. With bucket seats in the middle, install the third row seat.
What if you have two children in car seats? If you have bench seats in both rear rows, use the centre seats in the centre and rear rows.
With more than 3 car seats or more than 2 seats in a vehicle with mid-row buckets, some baby car seats will need to be installed on the sides of the car. First, install baby car seats in your centre row if you have a centre seat.
Install in the center seat of the rear row. The next best position is the centre row passenger seat. If you still have another baby car seat to install after that, use the rear row passenger side seat.
I have two baby seats installed in my back seat, facing forward and backwards. Which one should go in the centre seat?
As you know, the centre seat is the safest place in the car. If you have a baby and a small child in the car seats, who should you give the centre position to? The answer to the current question isn’t obvious.
Generally, the least protected child should get the centre seat. A young child in a forward-facing seat is less protected, as the seat position is just as safe as the rear. For this reason, it is recommended to install the forward-facing seat in the centre and the rear-facing seat on the passenger side.
However, some parents feel that since babies are more vulnerable, they should be in the car’s centre seat. If this is your preference, a small child in the outboard seat should still be adequately protected if both seats are used correctly. I advise you to select a convertible car seat with side impact protection if you make this choice.
Remember, please read and follow the instructions provided with your car seat. Some child seats claim they cannot be used in the passenger seat of some car models. Please follow these exceptions and always install your seat correctly. When in doubt, have your installation checked at a child seat inspection station.
