opinions on SCA's and roadtrip

[DaniCPST]

We are going on a road trip to Las Vegas (from Portland, Or about 17 hours) in March and I am kind of worried about my side curtain airbags. It is going to be my dad, husband, myself and our three kids. We are planning on taking my car which has SCA in all three rows but I know that one of the adults is going to be sleeping in the backseat pretty much at all times. I know you are not supposed to lean up against the side of the car with SCA but I think it is inevitable. My husband and I decided that since it is all freeway if the airbags were to deploy it would be during a rollover and not a t-bone so the person would wake up anyway before they deployed. :eek: All the kids will be harness so I am not worried about them. What do you think?? We could take my husbands truck that does not have SCA but then my dad would have to ride with my sister and her fiance which he does not want to do and we want the third driver with us.

[southpawboston]

statistically speaking, you are probably safer in most driving situations with SAC than without. i read somewhere that most new SAC designs are engineered to cascade down the window and "wedge" themselves between the head and the side window. i don't know if this helps any in a sleeping situation. perhaps it is best not to rest your head against the glass? i can't remember where i read this, so i don't know how accurate this is.

what make, model and year car do you have?

[DaniCPST]

Yeah I agree with you that it is probably safer to have the SCA than to not. I guess I'll just try not to worry about it that much. ;)
it's a 2007 Acura MDX.

[twokidstwodogs]

I wouldn't worry at all. I have never seen any serious concerns about the dangers of side curtain airbags to passengers. Even most side torso airbags, which are considered more dangerous, have been shown safe for out-of-position occupants. I would think that the safety advantages of side curtain airbags greatly outweigh any possible risks.

Does your Acura's airbag system have a rollover sensor? I thought I'd ask, because not all SCA do deploy during rollovers.

[southpawboston]

yes the MDX's SAC are rollover-activated.

[DaniCPST]

yep they are! I think I came up with a solution for my worrying. I am going to put all our luggage/strollers in my sisters car and then I will put the 2 older kids in the third row and put the baby outboard. This way the adult in the back will be able to sleep on pillows stacked on the center armrest and not on the door! And the front passanger is not allowed to sleep (road rule #3 you gotta keep the driver company!) so I don't have to worry about that! Now I just have to decided whether to put Griffin in his infant seat or a Britax for the trip??:p

[southpawboston]

what are road rules # 1 and 2??? http://homepage.mac.com/tutter/emoticons/question.gif

[DaniCPST]

Rule #1 no unbuckling (for my 6 year old and hubby :cool: )
Rule #2 no fighting, mainly for my older two...but it also applies to my hubby and I. ;)
And Rule #4 is always know where the nearest Starbucks is!!

[southpawboston]

And Rule #4 is always know where the nearest Starbucks is!!

that should be rule #1. :)

[Dillipop]

Now I just have to decided whether to put Griffin in his infant seat or a Britax for the trip??:p


Not that you asked for advice, but I would definitely keep the baby in the infant seat for the trip. My guy is just over 6 months and we still find the seat worth using, esp. when we are out and about. You will have a seat if you go out to eat. You will have an infant seat of sorts at your destination, where if you end up alone with baby and other kids and need to attend to other kids, baby is snug in his seat.

IMO, it would be easier to travel with a little guy like that with the option of taking him out of the car in his seat.:)