Infant Car seat – center or side of backseat?
Obviously car seat goes rear facing, but I know some cars the safest way is to put it in the center, but others on the sides.
How do I figure out which one is correct for my car??
car: Passat 01'
car seat: Chicco® KeyFit™ and KeyFit™ 30 Infant Car Seat
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18 Responses to “Infant Car seat – center or side of backseat?”-
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center is the safest (according to many OB’s because of side crashes) also the easiest should you have to reach the baby while seated in front seat.
The safetst place for a car seat is behind the driver. That is universal for all cars.
Center always
Center is always safest
It is always safer to install an infant carrier or car seat in a rearward facing position on the back seat, and the safest spot in the car is behind the driver.
The safest place is the MIDDLE! That is the farthest from all impact.
The exception is with booster seats. Booster seats must have a sholder and lap belt combo so when you get to that stage, if your car only has a lap belt it will need to go on the side.
As far as which side that depends which side oncoming traffic is on. The booster should be on the side farthest from oncoming traffic.
MIne is behind the drive seat.
In the middle in-case of side impact……. see if you have latch anchors in the middle.
if your child is under one yrs of age i would put it in the middle regardless of what kind of car you have. the only time my childs car seat wasnt in the middle was when i had a toddler already and it would fit with the bulky toddler seat sitting there on the side
Here are three things to look for:
The carseat base should not be wider than the space between the belt and buckle attached to the seat of your car. UNLESS your car has LATCH for rear facing seats (look for two anchors buried in the seat of your car), but that was not manditory until 2002.
The seat of your car needs to be flat enough for the base to lay flush.
The belt itself should be the old slide-adjust for the safest fit, or at least have a lock on it.
If these things are possible in the center seat, then please install the carseat there. If not, then the baby really would be safer on the side. I know we had the problem with the seat not being flat in my mother’s car, but once we switched from a rear facing only to a Britax, it fit just fine.
If in doubt, check with your local fire stations and Babies R Us, both of those do free carseat checks and installations.
usually behind the driver is the safest but if the seats ine the car have a arch in them like a lump its best to put the seat in the middle u should test it out before u put the baby in the seat should be snug and not lean ot eaither side
The BEST way to go is always behind the driver. Although the easiest way might be the center it isn’t the safest. If you get into a car crash, the baby is more likely to get injured more or die. So the best and safest way would be behind the driver and that is universal for all cars.
Personal experience says the center. My truck was T-boned between the driver and rear doors. I hate 2 think of the outcome if she had hit a few inches one way or the other and thank God I was in a truck cuz it sat higher.
The center, by physics, would be safer. BUT if your center seat doesn’t have a locking seatbelt, or the carseat doesn’t fit correctly, then the driver’s side is safest. You’ll find that knowing your child is right behind you will make you more cautious.
Center.
I would suggest center. That way you can easily see your little one in the rear-view mirror. Not to mention, if you get t-boned, there is more space on either side.
The wealth of misinformation about car seat use always astounds me, lol. The safest place for a car seat is the center. If you are trying to use LATCH, you may not be able to use the center b/c most cars only pur LATCH anchors on outboard positions, and only some brands allow using outboard anchors (the 2 inner ones) to hook the seat in the middle. Ford does allow this, check your manual. This is not to say outboard positions are unsafe, and if you have more than one child, somebody has to sit on the side, don’t they? LOL But center of the backseat is the safest, as then they are protected on all sides of impact.
Most important, is that the car seat fits well wherever it is. Many cars have a hump in the middle rear position, which can make installing some seats difficult and not tight enough. Put the seat where you get the best fit.
First of all, you need to consult your owner’s manual for your vehicle. They may not allow the center to be used and may prefer passenger outboard or driver outboard positions. Check your car manual first and foremost. Then, read your car seat manual. Your car manual will trump anything as to where you should place your carseat.
As a car seat tech, we ALWAYS check the car manual first, then the car seat manual. MOST will tell you to install your carseat in the middle of the backseat as it helps protect your child from side impact crashes.
One piece of advice I would give is to go to a car seat technician and have them install the carseat professionally. http://www.seatcheck.org or http://www.safekids.org.
BTW, you have an AWESOME carseat! If my babies weren’t such big ones, that is my all time favorite and would purchase it for one of my next babies!!!! (Chicco leans more toward smaller babies)