reclinging seats

[mak8946]

My fiance always reclines the captains chairs in our new van, so his son who is 8 and wants to be just like daddy does the same. I think this is unsafe, in an accident it seems like the seat belts wouldn't be able to do their job, daddy things I'm just being silly. This is the man who also argued with me about his son being in a booster until 8 (the law in PA). I refuse to drive the van or be in the van with him being unsafe. Can anyone provide me with "evidence" or information I can share with him that this is unsafe, or is it OK?

thank you in advance !

Missy

[LuvBug03]

well it definitely is not a safe practice. Reclining the back of the vehicle seat puts you more at risk for submarining.
Actually, reclining the vehicle seat increases the risk of submarining, which is when the lower body slides forward, drawing the lap belt up onto the abdomen. In extreme cases of vehicle seat recline, this has also been known to result in a broken neck or even decapitation, due to the head getting caught on the locked shoulder belt as the lower body is pulled forward by the crash forces.
[...]

and here are some personal experiences I found via google http://terrellhogan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31957
http://www.slate.com/id/2173446/
http://www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/safety/seatrecliningposter.pdf

an article from a law journal http://www.langdonemison.com/CM/Articles/Articles2.asp

Submarining usually results in Seatbelt Syndrome (http://www.google.com/search?q=Seatbelt+syndrome&hl=en&safe=active&sa=2), which I'm sure you have heard of.
If he is a visual kind of guy, try googling images of seatbelt syndrome to show him. Hopefully he will get the idea.

[Pixels]

The more reclined the seat is, the greater the risks. Also, if the seat is reclined far enough that the shoulder belt is no longer in contact with the collar bone, the body must first travel forward before hitting the belt, rather than riding down the crash with the vehicle. "They" have done tests to try to figure out how much recline is okay and when it starts to really interfere with safety. Sorry, I don't have links. But their conclusion was that when the shoulder belt is no longer in contact with the collar bone, that is when it starts to be a significant safety concern.

You know what else happens when people recline the seat? They lean their head forward, away from the head rest. Which really isn't there as a head rest for comfort at all, it's a safety device. It's very important in reducing whiplash. And the farther the head is away from the head restraint, the less effective it is. Even a couple of inches can make a difference.

[southpawboston]

there was a study done on this. the main problem with reclined seats is seatbelt submarining. the conclusion was that a partially reclined seat does not pose much threat to seatbelt submarining, but a fully reclined seat does pose a significant risk (relative to upright). i have the study at home, i can email ppl the pdf.

[UlrikeDG]

You may also want to check the vehicle manual. Mine ('06 Honda Odyssey) says not to recline the seats while the vehicle is moving and explains why.

[Northriver]

Thanks for the great information. I have a teenage son and I've passed this information on to him to help him educate his friends on the dangers of their steeply reclined seats. I have no idea why most teenage boys/ young men are so inclined to drive with their seats so steeply reclined but I'm certain they don't understand the danger.

[southpawboston]

Thanks for the great information. I have a teenage son and I've passed this information on to him to help him educate his friends on the dangers of their steeply reclined seats. I have no idea why most teenage boys/ young men are so inclined to drive with their seats so steeply reclined but I'm certain they don't understand the danger.

lol, i can't understand this phenomenon myself. i grew up before the generation that feels they have to have their seatbacks reclined. i asked a younger friend of mine why he does it (i was giving him a hard time about making sure he was "cool") and he insisted it's a comfort thing, but i'm pretty sure it's a male image thing... i think the idea is that it imparts a "low rider" attitude. pathetic. and around where i live, i see about 90% of the young males (mostly minority) doing it, and without a seatbelt. stupid.

[Northriver]

Thats too funny because 90% was the exact figure I would have used for young males around here in the midwest with their super reclined seats. I do think in some cars it has to do with the fact the boys have such long arms. My son rides appropriately upright but he's always messing with my stearing wheel placement. Any then my dad moves it to accomodate his big belly, lol.

My teenager and his friends get lots of information on seat belt/airbag safety from me that I've learned on this board - and I just happen because I have a very tall very lightweight 4 yr old in addition to my teenager, so I'm here periodically checking out car seat issues.

With the teens in my neighborhood, we've got the reclined seats, some kids that remarkably, still don't buckle up at all, some with older cars with poor seatbelts or no headrests, usually the girls riding with the shoulder portion of the belt behind their backs or riding with their legs on the dash in front of the airbags. Not to mention the loose cargo issue. I can't believe they didn't cover any of that in drivers ed. There is really a lack of education on this subject for both kids and parents, imo, these kids growing up when car seats were still primitive by todays standards and lap belt only seat belts were the norm. My son's girlfriend says her own mother rides with the shoulder belt behind her, her kids are 16, 14 and 8 so she is setting a really bad example for those kids.

[mak8946]

THANK YOU ALL! That is just what I needed. I am going to print this stuff out and I REFUSE to drive with the seats reclining anymore!

[christineka]

My dh says overweight people (such as himself) like seats reclined because it is more comfortable for their bellies. Maybe the arms have to do with it too.

Dh's car's seats are reclined in their most upright position. (I try to put them up more every time I get in and feel like I'm laying down.) I hate reclined seats.