Captain's chairs

[andperlon]

Are Captain's chairs safe for child car seats? We have a newborn and children four to six, they both have car seats. We are planning on getting a mini-van with a second row captains's chair. My wife is hesitent. Is it safe to put car seats in them, is it safer to have one long row of seats to put car seats in?

[UlrikeDG]

Not only is it perfectly acceptible to install a car seat on a captain's chair, but minivans tend to be some of the safest cars on the road.

[CPSDarren]

A recent study by the Partners for Child Passenger Safety showed minivans to be significantly safer than cars and SUVs in side impacts. One possible reason is the extra space afforded by the captain's chair between the passenger and the door.

Another minor benefit of a captain's chair is that most allow you to slide them forward/back and also recline. This can help with some child seat installations. The reclining seatback can also give a little more legroom for rear-facing kids. That helps keep kids rear-facing longer, and that is an important safety advantage.