Is it safe?

[Furia]

We have a 1996 Ford F150 2dr is it safe to put a chld seat (infant+) in the front seat? The middle seat is a fold down and only has a lap belt, would it be ok to put the car seat in the passenger seat?:confused:

[skaterbabscpst]

What do you mean the middle seat folds down?

[papooses]

Since there's no back seat, the front is necessary, right? :o

I don't remember if the 1996 F150 has a passenger airbag, but if it does, hopefully it also has a turn-off switch.... If so use it :) The dealer can also install a shut-off switch.

Is another (adult) passenger going to sit in the middle :confused: S/he will be safer getting an 86Y (http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml) assuming s/he fits the 168# weight limit (including shipping & top tether anchor kit, ours cost only $45 & the dealer installed the anchor for free).

Keeping kiddo rear facing until the maximum limits of the seat would also greatly increase his/her safety!
American Academy of Pediatrics: Selecting and Using the Most Appropriate Car Safety Seats for Growing Children (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/109/3/550)
Why Rear Facing is Safest (http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html)
Rear Facing: Unmatched Safety (http://www.cpsafety.org/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx) (with crash test footage) & Extended Rear Facing Photo Album (http://www.cpsafety.org/articles/RFAlbumAll.aspx)
REAR-FACING: WHY | WHO | WHEN | WHAT | WHERE | HOW (http://www.thecarseatlady.com/rearfacing.html)
Toddlers Should Face the Rear Longer (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868/)
In Scandinavia kids stay Rear Facing until 50# (3-5 yrs. old) & there's never been a recorded case of leg/foot injury, but many cases of neck/spine injury from Forward Facing too soon -- regardless, I'd rather have a broken ankle than a broken neck

[papooses]

My dad's 1999 F250 is like this: the seat (bottom part) is there all the time, but the top/back folds down as an arm rest & console -- there's a lever to flip it back up to use a seat....

[skaterbabscpst]

what does the vehicle owner's manual say?

[scatterbunny]

Tiffany, is it allowable to install a CR on those console/fold-down seats?

If so, and only if the driver's side doesn't have an airbag, I'd put baby in the center (provided you get a solid install). That way no adult has to ride in the dangerous lapbelt-only spot.

If the driver's side has an airbag though, the carseat in the middle will be in the airbag deployment zone, so the seat should be installed outboard.

[papooses]

I *think* there's an airbag in the driver's seat for 1996 ... but I could be wrong -- always check the manual ;)

Our 1999 F250 manual said it's OK to install a Forward Facing carseat in the middle folding seat, but there's no allowable tether location for ours since it has a full back seat (we were allowed to get a tether anchor installed for the center rear seat) -- my guess is that Ford will allow a tether installed in a 1996 F150, but ... again, check the manual and/or call the manufacturer :o

When my sister brought my then 6 year old niece to visit when Leila was 2, we all rode in the truck -- my sister is very "down" on boosters :mad: & it wasn't a law here, then ... so I bought the KidY & after consulting the techs here & EZOn & Ford, we decided to put Leila in her CarGo between the grandparents up front with my niece in the KidY between me & my sister in back -- grandpa refused to take my sister & niece unless they used the KidY ... WOOHOO! (If I'd had my own say, though, we'd have all pitched in for a minivan rental & my niece would've been in a booster)

[CPSDarren]

The driver's airbag usually does not cover the middle seating position. Also, a lap belt is usually fine for installation of a child restraint with a 5-point harness. You would definitely have to consult the manual for instructions on whether or not a child restraint can be used in the front seat. In the unlikely event that the 1996 model has a passenger side airbag, you would have to have an on/off switch installed.