Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Statistically, I believe, the front passenger seat is the most
    dangerous seat. I would think (but haven't read anything on this) that
    that would be followed by driver's front seat, and then, possible rear
    passenger side seat. I have heard middel back is safest. When we had
    just two in car seats (way back when), we put one on each side of back
    seat, bacuse Joshua tried to "mother" Carrie too much, if we placed her
    next to him. When we had three in the back, 2 in seats, one in just a
    belt, Daniel (the baby) was in the center, and one Josh was on one side
    and Carrie the other. The one in the car seat (Carrie) was on the
    passenger side, the one in the belt (Josh) behind the driver. Now that
    we have an eight passenger Voyager (two 3-seater benches in the back,
    facing each other), it goes this way: Josh in belt, behind driver,
    facing backwards. Daniel in car seat, behind driver, facing forwards
    (they face each other). Carrie, in car seat, behind passenger, facing
    forward. The new baby will sit in it's car seat directly in back of
    passenger side, facing backward in the seat that faces backwards (in
    other words, the baby's car seat won't be looking at the seat, but the
    baby will be facing backwards, which is the issue, not whether or not
    they face the seat). Made that all as clear as mud, haven't I???
    
    Okay, here's what I'd do....I'd do it just as you plan, unless James
    can't keep his hands off the baby, in which case I'd sit one on each
    side of the back seat so there's space between 'em. Remember that if
    James and the new baby are fussing at each other, and that new baby is
    screaming from all the loving brotherly attention, you won't be the
    safest driver on the road! It can get on the nerves real easily. We've
    even put the baby in the front passenger seat (facing backwards, of
    course) so that the driver can keep a better "eye" on him or her, and
    not have to rely on the reports of the siblings ("did Daniel lose his
    pacifier? Is that why he's crying? Well, could you look?  What do you
    mean you think he's stuck? On *what*?"). 
    
    Do what you're most comfortable with!
    
    --dave-- 

    I've seen just about every variation on car seat arrangments.  Front
    seat, back seat-- do what makes you feel comfortable.  I've always
    put my *babies* in the front seat beside me.  I prefer this because I
    can just glance over to check on the baby, because I tend to get nervous.
    The older children can easily go in the back seat and you can do verbal
    checks on them. 
    
    This reminds me of a funny story.  I had just pulled in to my sitter's
    driveway to pick up my toddler, and my 6 and 7 year olds were in the
    back.  We were right behind a jeep, and the mother of the 4 month old
    girl (at the same sitter) was putting the baby in the back seat, facing out
    the back.  When I saw this, I thought to myself, "I would *never* do
    that.  How on earth can she check on the baby?"  As I was thinking
    this, my 6 year old said, "MOMMY!!!  That lady is putting her baby in
    the TRUNK!!!!!!"
    
    :-) 
                              

    I believe that any place in back is safer than in front.  Not only
    statistically, but they tend to distract the driver less in the back
    (unless you are like me and would turn around to look at them, making
    it actually safer in front!).
    
    The middle back is the safest, as stated previously.
    
    With mine, I put Kati (2) in the middle back in her booster.  Kimmi Jo
    (6 mo) goes in passenger seat.  I like to keep her within reach and eye
    view.  Also, Kati is quite the mommy so I'd have to separate them if
    they were both in back.
    
    FWIW,			- Kristen -

    I used to put one in front and one in back also, but the other
    way around.  Brian (4) would be in front in his booster seat,
    and Neil (1) would be in the middle of the back.  That way,
    it was easier for Neil to sleep undisturbed, and easier for
    me to talk with Brian (who talks constantly!) without having
    to turn around or strain to hear him.  Plus, he was happier
    on long trips because he could see out better.
    
    That was in my old car.  In my new car, I have automatic
    shoulder belts and separate lap belts.  The lap belts aren't
    the kind that you can lock at a particular place to keep the
    car seat secure -- they are the kind that lock on impact.
    So now both boys are in the back with one on each side.  I
    like having them separated both to keep Brian from "mothering"
    Neil and so that toys can go between them and can be reached
    by both.
    
                                        Tracy

    The pamphlet that came with my Century car seat said
    that you should NOT have the car seat facing backwards
    in the back seat without an adult sitting back there.  It
    said that if only one adult in the car, then the car seat
    (facing backwards for an infant) should be placed in the
    front on the passenger side - this way the adult can watch
    the infant for any signs of trouble.  
    
    I guess with older children this would not be a problem 
    because they could keep their eye on the infant.  I am just 
    stating what Century said - I am pregnant with my first so I
    have not had this issue come up.
    
    Kara
    

    Uh, perhaps I'm dense, but what kind of trouble can a 4-month-old
    infant get into in a car seat??????
    
    --bonnie

    
    	Seizure? Difficulty breathing? Reaction to heat/cold?
    
    	Those are things I would be looking for but perhaps I err on the
    overly paranoid side.
    
    			Wendy

    Maybe I'm too placid.  I can't say I ever worried about a normal
    baby suddenly developing breathing problems or seizures for no
    reason without a sign.  It could happen, I suppose, but I always
    figured I'd hear it.
    
    --bonnie

    When Eric was an infant I used to keep him in the back at first.  One
    day I put him in his car seat and forgot to strap him in.  Never knew
    it until about 20 minutes later when at a stop light I stretched to
    look back at him and saw him quite hunched over (he was still
    pretty floppy at this age).  I pulled right over and saw he wasn't 
    strapped in.
    
    I was much more comfortable with him in the front after that.  Stupid
    mistake on my part, but it still scared me big time when I kept thinking 
    "what if I had been in an accident or had to slam the brakes on".
    
    Donna
    

    Hate to cause gloom and doom, but not too long ago a toddler strangled
    in her car seat because she twisted around.  Her mother didn't notice
    anything wrong until she stopped to remove her from her seat.  My son
    was (still is, 18 months later) a spitter-upper, and I was never
    comfortable with him facing away from me, in case he spit up and
    couldn't clear his airway.
    

    From my point of view, (that's the EMT in me) we have a saying that
    goes "you always find the back seat first", loosely translated this
    means the back portion of the car will generally survive better than
    the front.  Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and of course
    the exception to this is when the side of the car takes the impact, as
    opposed to either the front or back.
    
    As a mother I've always felt the child is safer in the rear seat.
    Bottom line, in a personal way, you won't be hurt as badly, if at all
    if you wear a seatbelt no matter whether its front or back!
    When AJ was an infant we had only two options in dependable
    transportaion, either our pre-baby two seater Fiero, which had infact
    been rated best in head on survivability, or my father inlaw's full
    sized pick up.  I always worried "what if", when he was in either
    vehicle.
    From a personal point of view, last Thursday my husband and I were
    involved in a Low speed accident, we both had seatbelts on, it was our
    passenger side corner to the other driver's side corner. Fortunately
    AJ was NOT with us, hubby was unhurt I was taken to the hospital because
    of neck pain.  Just a fluke sort of thing, I had my head down reading
    when the accident occured.  Personally I believe had I not had a
    seatbelt on I certainly would have taken the dash and/or windshield in
    my chest or forehead upon impact.  The car had almost 3K in damage, my
    injury damage was almost nothing thankfully, treated and released
    within an hour!
    

In most European countries it is illegal for a child below the age of 12 to
be in the front seat.  I am not sure about rear facing infant carriers in the
front seat since we had a seat which could only face forward.  Those are
definitely illegal in the front seat.

My children have always sat securely strapped in the back seat.  First they were
in a child's seat, then on the seat with a protective lap table held in place
with the seat belt, then with a seat belt.  We insist, even for short trips.
The child seats were all made by a German company R�hmer.

ccb

    If you do want to put the child in the front seat with one of the
    non-locking belts, check with the car manufacturer--Nissan at least has
    a belt that is added in to be fixed and make it feel a lot safer...I
    tried to test the lockng mechanism a couple of times and could notget
    it to trip, so the other belt makes me feel much better!
    
    Adrienne