Convertables and Child Safety

[Unregistered]

My husband wants to buy a convertable car. I am reluctant because I have not seen any general safety records for convertables vs. traditional topped cars. I know each car has a safety record but how do children fare in convertables? Is there any rule of thumb? Can regular car seat/booster seats be used?

[Unregistered]

I would think the convertible would at least need a roll bar...

[joolsplus3]

Some convertibles lack top tethers for car seats. It's still fairly safe to install a seat in one, but the tradeoff is your child's head could fly forward several inches more in an untethered seat versus a tethered one (the further forward the head flies, the greater likelyhood of hitting something else in the car and sustaining worse injury).
That said, we used to have a convertible, and seats installed just fine. Whether the children were at greater danger from flying road debris and serious sunburn or windburn, we never found out. Why not? Because when the top was down, they would both scream bloody murder until we put it back up!
I don't know if there are actual statistics on the relative danger or safety of convertibles vs other cars, though, maybe someone else does?