What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2006

Sry there was a typo in the title, we have a 2006 Ford Escape.

I have two questions.

1. I would prefer DD to be RF for her entire life if it was possible. However, I know that it's not. I have read that at the age 4 it's safer for Forward Facing because their bones harden at that age. I am concerned, because I am quite frankly afraid to ever FF her at any time in the future. At what age is it 'ok' or 'most safe'? DD is almost 3 and a half and I am getting another seat replacement so she is going to have 15 pounds to RF (hopefully). She is considered on the small side, thin and last weigh in she was 24.5 pounds, so she has to be pushing 30 soon.

2. How does the Radian fit/install in the 2006 Ford Escape? We have the Evenflo and it's a pain (as we where warned but at the time was the most highest poundage in RF that was in our price range). DH has a DD that is no longer in a seat/booster, so I was thinking maybe we can install the radian in the middle seat (Evenflo was too wide). Would that be a better fit?
 
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cookie123

New member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

Your daughter may outgrow the seat by height before weight. For rear facing, the seat is outgrown if there is less than an inch of hard shell above her head, or of course if she meets the weight limit.

I drive an 05 Tribute, which is the twin to the Escape. It has been my experience that I can't get a decent install forward facing in my Tribute with the Radian. It seems tight when I check at the belt path side to side, but then checking front to back, it pulls out several inches from the seat. I have tried seat belt and LATCH.

At 4, I would be okay forward facing if the child requested to do so. Every one here seems to have their own personal age to shoot for.
 

amyd

New member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

Most of us are completely comfortable FFing at four for sure. Many of us (myself included) would not purchase a new seat to continue to RF a 3.5 year old. My son rides in a 2010 Radian XT and I expect that he will outgrow it before he is four (by height). I just wanted to add that a $300 seat to RF for another 15lbs seems to be overkill for your child. How tall is her torso height (sit her against a wall and measure from her shoulder to the floor)? What's her overall height? I suspect if she's almost four and not even 30lbs that a 35lb or 40lb seat would get her to five years at least. She will almost certainly outgrow the seat by height before weight unless she is extremely short as well as light.
 

mommy-medic

New member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

Most complete bone ossification is completed by age 6, but the hardening of bones wouldn't have any impact on RFing. Everyone would be safer riding RFing but that just isn't possible/practical. You've done a great job so far- at this point in time it is personal preference. Kudos on a job well done! :thumbsup:
 

QuassEE

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

It's totally your call--the current recommendation is to RF until the limits of the seat.. Be it the seat you have, or whether or not you've opted to purchase another seat to continue rear-facing. Height is going to be the issue, and not weight, for your child--so 30lbs is probably going to be a significant duration rear-facing :)

I personally had no problem with the Radian in my 2001 Tribute, with both LATCH and the seatbelt, both forward and rear-facing in the centre seating position. I don't think I ever put it in outboard. I do recall having to pull the seat outwards and play with the seatback recline a bit and then tighten it up, however.

I absolutely love the Escape/Tribute for carseat installs--it's one of my favourites :)

-Nicole.
 
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

Thank you for all your replies.

I had measured DD and she is 20 inches from floor to the tip of her head, 12.5 inches from floor to shoulders, and 36.5 inches tall. I will have to see if I can get her weighted in the next few days, but I don't think she is quite 30 pounds yet.

Like I have said, I would very much rather to have her RF for at least 4 years old (then when she reaches that age I might change to 5 years old :whistle:).

What is the height requirements for this new seat? I can check the WHO charts to see when she should be appropriating that height and see if it's worth it (IMO even a year more is worth it).

I have the older Evenflo that I am sure only goes to 30 pounds not the 35 pound one. So this is something that I will have to change over fairly soon, I would see it better for switching for 15 pounds other than 5-10 pounds.
 

Evolily

New member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

If you're planning to purchase a seat, I would go with one with a taller shell. The Complete Air and Sunshine Kids Radian come to mind as ones that would accommodate her for quite a while longer both by torso height and weight.

At her size you could potentially be rear facing until she's in grammar school. Of course, it would be perfectly safe for you to turn her forward facing now, or in six months, or in two years, and I personally would not necessarily purchase another seat for her to rear face in, but hey- if it gives you peace of mind why not? She could go straight from rear facing to a booster seat.
 
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

At her size you could potentially be rear facing until she's in grammar school.

That was cute, made me laugh, thanks I needed that :)

Thank you as well for your tips. I think I will go for the Radian, but I was told it's good for Extending 5 point Harness as well. That is something I am interested in as well.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

Well, if my car seat set up was ideal, I would have all kids rf until the age of 6. The spine matures between the ages of 4 and 6 so why not go till the end of that period? I don't think its dangerous to ff before age 6 but I'm the kind of person that always wonders, "what if I had done _______?" So for me, I'd go with 6 so I never have to question. But, in reality, the youngest child I babysit for is 4y/o and he is ff, same as the older kids. I accept, that in this reality, there is no way for me to rf him (money issues and he's already over 40lbs) so I am ok with ff. He is safe.
 

Adventuredad

New member
Re: What Age Is 'Safe' to Forward Face and Radian 2010 In Ford Escape 2007

You have done a nice job with rear facing! Rear facing is as pointed out always safer. Most believe benefits are gone at age four but the safety difference is still large. Bones have ossified more at that age, muscles are stronger, and head is a smaller percentage of a child's overall weight. These are all great things which help to keep kids safer.

One huge difference between RF and FF regardless of age is side impact collisions. This is not discussed much for older kids but is very relevant. Collisions for the side are a lower percentage, about 25% , but also the most deadly since cars are optimized for frontal collisions.

The problem with forward facing children, harnessed or in a HBB, is the very poor side impact protection. Collisions rarely look as pretty and nice as in those Youtube videos where the wings of a FF child give nice protection.

In most side impact collisions we have "pre-impact breaking" which is terrible for forward facing children. This means head/neck is thrown forward just before impact leaving this area with very poor protection.

A rear facing child is pushed further into the car seat just before impact thanks to pre-impact breaking which means head/neck is nicely protected.

To make along story short, you have done a nice job so far RF. It would be far safer even at age 3.5 but the benefits are far smaller than at age 1-2 years. Over here in rear facing land Sweden we recommend RF to age 4 or longer so you are close to the age where many parents turn their kids FF.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I just want to comment on you mentioning that you're having troubles with the evenflo rf'ing. Your signature says it's a Triumph Advance, I've had that in a Ford and never had any issues.. Seatbacks aren't very curved in Ford vehicles usually, and the Triumph is compatible from a "tight" to vehicle perspective in every vehicle I've ever seen it in. (The only compatibility issue I've ever come across is when the knobs are so close to the seatback it's hard to adjust. But that shouldn't be happening in a Ford Escape.)

If the 24.5lb weight is within the last 6 months, it's unlikely that she's a full 30 lbs now unless there's something that has changed that might've caused her to significantly speed up in her rate of growth...

As for age? My personal minimum is 3yrs, the age I strongly encourage from others is 2yrs and then the longer from that point (provided the seat fits of course,) the better. The fact of the matter is that the highest risk group is the under 2yr old ff'ing kids, so that is the age that I focus on really wanting to get kids past before being turned ff'ing.

Yes, rf'ing is always going to be safer. But there comes a point where the benefits are going to be so minuscule, that it would be impossible to give a statistical benefit.

The spinal column fuses sometime between the ages of 3 and 6, and it is a progressive process. So that is why 3 is the minimum age I go for with my kids. I turned my ds ff'ing in one vehicle in Febuary, and the other in April I think it was. He was nearing the height limit of the one seat, but had loads of room in the other seat. I was just ready to ff him - he was almost 3.5, 30lbs, and at his age and size, it was getting to be a pain to stick him in to the vehicle. And honestly? I haven't had any second thoughts even with all the data I've seen and crash scene analysis reports I've read. ;)
 

sparkyd

Active member
I just wanted to pick up on your extended harnessing comment. Yes, rear-facing as long as works for you is always going to be safer, but it isn't a proven fact that harnessing forward-facing for as long as possible is the safest thing to do. It is no joke that with the size of your child and your desire to RF as long as possible she could potentially go right from RFing to a booster. Harnessing is absolutely safer for a child that is not ready for a booster, be it because they aren't big enough or because they aren't mature enough (no impulse control, flop over when sleeping etc.). But if a child is truly ready for a booster, it is perfectly safe to use one and there is no evidence I'm aware of that says keeping them harnessed is safer - while there is reason to believe that a booster could actually be better. There is a reason seats don't harness past 65 lbs in Canada. :twocents:

There is a fair bit of controversy on this subject on this board and I'm not trying to stir the pot. I just wanted you to know that that subject isn't cut and dry.

ETA: Can tell I haven't been on here for a long time... I'm replying to posts that are 5 days old!!
 

finn

New member
My personal minimum is 4. I'm pretty sure ds will be going into a frontier on his 4th birthday. He has expressed his opinion that he would like to go forward (although he never complains about being backwards). I have told him he can at 4 :) I was going to booster him but he seems so little & he would probably do ok, but I think in the end its not worth the stress so I will harness him probably until he is 5 and then he can go into a booster.
 

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