Safest arrangement for 2 car seats?

Question

Is there a safer arrangement for 2 car seats? For example, is it best to have them side by side, with one in the middle and one on the outside? Or is it safer to have them each on the outside with the middle left open?

Maybe it depends on the ages of the kids? One is an infant car seat and one is a booster for a 5 year old.

Answer 1

each behind a seat i.e. one behind the drivers seat and one behind the passenger. If your in a head on collision or someone hits the back of your car. the baby seat wont go flying around

Answer 2

i have a 2 year old thats in a big car seat and i have a 7 wk old in an infant seat and i have one on each side with the middle open bcuz i didnt want my two yr old poking the baby in the eyes, plus its alot easier to get them out tht way.

Answer 3

I have wondered this myself. I put the oldest on the outside and the youngest in the middle. that way big brother of sister can play with the baby.

Answer 4

Some techs will tell you to put the least protected child in the most protected spot.  This would mean, put your child in a booster in the middle and the infant outboard rearfacing on whichever side you wish.

If the booster and infant seat fit this way AND you have a lap/shoulder belt in the center, then I would do it this way.

If not, then I would put each outboard.

Answer 5

A nurse at the hospital where i had my babies recommended that the youngest baby be put in the middle , i have my 4 week old in the middle and my 18 month old by the window

Answer 6

Since you have mroe than one child its mostly up to your preference on where you'd prefer to have them. car seat techs (CPSTs) will tell you to put the least protected child in the most protected position. But contrary to popular opinion, the least protected child is NOT the youngest one - by being in a rear facing position, the infant is the most protected and by being in a booster seat the 5 year old is the least protected. So ideally, if you have a lap/shoulder belt in the middle (you can't use a lap only belt with a booster) put the 5 year old in the middle and the baby on the outer side.

But, most people with 2 kids just put one on each side for convenience sake. Remember that the outer positions are not UNsafe, the middle is just safEST. And its only safe to put a seat in the middle if it installs well there. You can not use LATCH in the middle unless your vehicle's manual specifically says you can.

Some things to consider: your 5 year old would be MUCH safer in a 5 point harness rather than a booster seat. You might consider putting him back in a harness. Experts recommend keeping them harnessed as long as possible and there's seats out there now that aren't too expensive and will keep him harnessed another year or two. Graco Nautilus is the least expensive that's worth getting: $150, harnesses to 65lbs and then becomes a booster.

Another thing to remember is to keep that baby rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Turning kids forward at 20lbs/1year is an outdated practice that could cost you your child's life!

1)A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 5 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age.

2)A child's vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone.

3)Current research suggests that children under the age of two years are 75 percent less likely to die or be seriously injured when they are riding rear facing.

4)In a recent article from Injury Prevention, it was found that the odds of severe injury to forward facing children age 12-23 months old was 5.32 times higher than a rear facing child. (Car Safety Seats For Children: Rear Facing For Best Protection; Injury Prevention 2007; 13:398-402.)

It works this way: when you get in an accident and run into something, the car stop suddently, but everything and everyone in the car keeps moving in the direction the car was moving when it stopped, in most accidents, this is forward. So in an accident with a child in a forward facing seat, his head, the heaviest part of the body on babies and toddlers, flies forward very forcefully and easily snaps. If that same child is in a rear facing seat, his head tries to fly forward but is supported by the back of the rear facing seat, so there is no stress put on the child's neck and spine.

Check out this photo album exclusively of rear facing kids, many of them much older than 12 months: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum...  There isn't a single documented case of a child breaking their legs b/c they were rear facing in an accident. There are, however, lots of cases where children have been killed and seriously injured where a rear facing seat would have protected them better.

Answer 7

i think it is safer to leave the middle open because you dont want your 5 year old poking at the baby while its sleeping in the car

Answer 8

It will depend on a couple of different things. First off is how you plan on securing the carseats. If you are using latch system on the infant car seat you will find your 5 year old(and you!) will have a very hard time getting at the buckle to secure the belt. However depending on your seats you may not be able to secure the infant seat on an outer seat at all. With my husband's car even using the base to the infant seat you cannot make the belt tight enough to prevent movement....Just the way the seats where manufactured.

It will also depend on the behavior of the 5 year old. If the older child is aggressive or spiteful towards the baby you need that middle seat open to prevent injury to the baby.

We personally have my son's (4yr old) booster on one side behind me and the infant carrier with base on the other side becuase that is the best position to keep her seat the best secured in my SUV. Try out both configurations based on your car and the behavior of the 5 yr old...Whichever one allows the least movement of the carseat and ease of the 5 yr old to get buckled in is best for your vehicle.