Would u install a car seat rear facing on pass side or front facing in the middle (back seat)?

Question

I have an almost 1 yr old daughter (29" and 23lbs) who is graduating to a convertible car seat this weekend. The backseat of my car is rather fickle and I can't install the car seat rear-facing in the middle (b/c it hits both front seats), so I have to pick a side. I can, however, install it forward facing in the middle of the backseat. Everything I read says that rear-facing and middle of backseat is the safest spot for your child...but if I have to choose between middle of backseat or rear facing, which is the safer choice? Any help is appreciated!

Answer 1

call your local police department, they can tell you the proper and most safe way to install the seat for maximum protection of your child.

Answer 2

My daughter is a year old and 20 pounds.  Until I get ready to turn her front facing, she is rear facing on the passenger side because I have the same problem with my carseat.  I feel comfortable with her their.  I'm going to wait until he legs are too long and then put her forward facing in the middle.

Answer 3

Great job keeping your child rearfacing!!!!  My daughter rearfaced until last week at 3 1/2 years.  She still wishes she could be RF, but she reached the weight limit.

I would always choose RF over forward facing (FF).  A RF outboard seat is much, much, much safer than a FF middle seat.  

My daughter rode RF in the center of my car, but outboard passenger side in my husband's car because I couldn't get a solid install in the center.

Answer 4

rear face on the passenger side.

when she is bigger, forward face in the centre

Answer 5

Front facing in the middle of the rear seat, safest place for anyone it has the strongest crumple zone in the vehicle.

Answer 6

I believe if the child is over 20lbs, over 1yo and can sit up on their own, it is safe to face forward. My baby is very tiny, 22months and barely 20lbs, she is forward facing in the middle. I think the middle is the safest because it is furthest from anywhere outside the vehicle, and less likely to be struck in an accident. If your baby is very close to a year, she should be fine. Check with your pediatrician to be sure.

Just make sure the seat is secure. It shouldn't move more than 1 inch in any direction once installed.

Answer 7

Get a Britax Boulevard is my suggestion to you, and then install in rear facing on the passenger side.  The Britax is one of the best seats available, and it offers something most others dont- side impact protection.  Yeah, its not as good as being in the middle, but if you have to go with a side, then go with a car seat that has the side impact protection.

Answer 8

Rear facing is MUCH MUCH safe than forward facing, so she would actually be safer on one of the sides still rear facing. Rear facing offers a lot more protection. The old 20lbs/1 year rule is just that. OLD. It came about in the 1980's when our seats were only capable of rear facing to 20lbs and we didn't know any better. Now we definitely know better and all current convertible seats rear face to at least 30lbs, but its hard getting people to realize this.

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. And  most kids actually prefer to be rear facing b/c they can rest their feet on the vehicle seat back. When they are forward facing, their legs don't receive enough support and will frequently fall asleep.

The outboard positions are not unsafe - just center is safest. But it is only safest if you get a good install there. If you really want her in the center, try out a different convertible seat that may fit right in between the 2 front seats.

I can't find the exact link right now - but there is a thread on car-seat.org that talks about this exact issue -a nd the techs have agreed time and again that rear facing is always safest, no matter the position in the back. OH! Here one is: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t...