Car Seats
we've been getting varying opinions on the best location for a rear-facing carseat. we've been keeping our carseat at the location diagonal from the driver, so that we can keep an eye on her (we have the mirror above her carseat) and reach her in case of emergency.
talking with some people, they mentioned that the mirror on top of the carseat may be dangerous because the rear-facing carseat (with base) is meant to go up if you get into an accident... so the baby might hit the mirror or what not. to counteract this, we would move the passenger seat back so that the carseat was flush against it, to prevent it from jumping up.
then surfing online, i see that the middle position is the best position for the baby due to being away from potential side collisions... but not having that seat in front of them scares me... and a lot of cars don't have the latches in the middle.
so, i guess i'm asking, where do you keep your carseat, and why? and what happens when you have more than one kid?
in the middle
We took our seat to a fire house and they told us they no longer help install them but did give us a few websites (we are in Texas) where we were able to set up an appointment for a 'seat inspection'. A vehicle homicide agent helped us install our convertible seat (he took a 40 hour instruction course) and told us that the middle was the safest regardless of whether we used the latch system or our vehicle belts, but I did not ask why. Other useful info he gave us:
1. Make sure the seat does not move back and forth or side to side any more than an inch at MOST. Test it at the LAP BELT.
2. Do not use those mirrors they sell because in an accident they can come loose and smack your kid in the face and/or chard. He said he has seen too much of that.
3. Keep your car clean. In the event of an accident any loose debris will fly around at top speed (70 mph +). Keep diaper bags and other essentials in the trunk. If you want your baby to have toys that's fine... just SOFT ones (stuffed animals, etc).
4. The fewer the accessories the better (inserts, etc.) They have not been crash tested, unless it is something that came with the seat. If your baby needs additional support it is best to use blankets and such (just roll them up and place around baby AFTER baby has been secured).
Leave it to the Pros
If you have any doubt on how and where a car seat needs to be installed, take your vehicle and car seat(s) to your local fire station. They will install the seats in the proper location and show you how to do it in case you need to move the seats to another vehicle FREE OF CHARGE.
On a side note, don't let your DW talk you into buying the Britex series of car seats. They are the "Mercedes" of car seats and VERY expensive. I personally think it's all "bling." We have 2 that set us back at $200 a piece. We also have the "other" name brands that are like 50-70% less and do the same job. That's just my cheap guy thing I had to throw in there.
in the middle
Our base is set up in the middle. I figure a side collision could cause the most harm even if the seat is doing all it should.
We've given up on trying to fit the mirror in the best location.
I never though about who goes where when the next little peanut comes along.....
I must admit, the first time I heard the term "convertible car seat", I said to my wife "they make car seats just for convertibles???" At that time, I had a lot to learn :)
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