Re: Benefits of RF from ages 2-3
Your so funny. The front seat is as safe as the rear for REAR FACING CHILDREN. Children who are not rfing don't belong in the front seat. This is mentioned by organizations, experts, and manufacturers such as Volvo.
Isn't it strange that these experts are so wrong, according to you and others, but the safety record is still so superior to any other country? Must be complete and total luck.:twocents:
Can you explain what it is that makes Swedish vehicles different from american vehicles? I'm willing to grant you the possibility that if you removed the risk of airbags completely, and had some way to ameliorate the increased risk of injury due to being closest to the point of impact, there would be no harm in using the front seat.
BUT, almost all vehicles left in circulation have front airbags - some 1st generation airbags are even still around. Which are known to be unreliable enough that in collisions involving vehicles with Gen I airbags that didn't deploy, the firefighters will cut the battery wires before attempting any kind of rescue of trapped occupants - they're known to deploy well after the fact in some instances. So given that history it might make more sense for why we absolutely don't trust front airbag sensors in any circumstance. Even manufacturers warn that it is possible for an airbag to still deploy, and state to not use a rf'ing child restraint in the front seat.
Airbag issue aside, in a frontal collision at high speeds, a rf'ing child in the front seat is close enough to potentially be impacted by the damage sustained in the front of the vehicle. You've seen how people get legs trapped and pinned due to the front vehicle compartment being compromised - how do you think that force and the possible shifting of the vehicle interior in to the child restraint itself would affect protection?
Again, maybe Swedish vehicles have some sort of extra reinforcement in the dash area that lowers this risk?
There are enough variables that can't be accounted for, that it is absolutely impossible to state that rf'ing children are safe in the front seat when talking about north american cars and north american child restraints. Data says that they're not as safe up front - and that being rf'ing in the front seat can be fatal.
You've said before that you're used to bluntness and straight forwardness, so I think you can handle the following comment... it's fine to recommend what is normal practice in Sweden to people who live in areas that have the same circumstances as you. It's not ok to poo-poo what all of the highly experienced techs are saying about front seat being unsafe for rf'ing children & not being recommended here in North America.
For all I care, you could personally crash test seats and vehicles, and write the laws in Sweden. That doesn't mean that you have expertise in how North American vehicles with North American carseats installed would perform under identical circumstances. Please, when it comes to something that could make the difference between life and death, consider what best practice is in that country. There is a cultural difference, and while our safety record may not match that of Sweden, making statements that would be an acceptable practice in Sweden does nothing to protect North American children - who ride in different vehicles with different types of child restraints. I can't argue if it's safe in Sweden or not, and I won't argue that point with you. But I can tell you that North American data doesn't support allowing a rf'ing child to ride in the front seat if there is an airbag present - even when the vehicle is showing it as disabled.