How unsafe is my 1998 Grand Cherokee?

This might seem like a silly question but I am trying to get a less marketing-biased view of my situation please. We have a 3 year old and, now, a new born and we were considering giving up our 1998 Grand Cherokee for a 2004 Odyssey.

It is clear to me that we would improve on child safety in the Odyssey but it clearly comes at a significant cost to us. Can someone give me some practical, anecodotal information as to why we should make this investment.

I am ready and willing to do the right thing for my family but I want to do it based upon real-world information, not dealership spin. Thank you for any and all perspective you can provide.

--Concerned Father

Certainly, many newer minivans will have better crash test ratings in the frontal and side impact tests performed by the IIHS and NHTSA. Minivans also tend to be more stable and have a lower rollover risk.

Personally, if you are buying a brand new model with safety as the main criteria, I would recommend you consider a model with side curtain airbags in all rows of seating as well as stability control. The current Odyssey lacks these features, though the 2005 model is supposed to have them. The 2004 versions of the Toyota Sienna, Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterrey and Nissan Quest do have these features, though they have not yet been completely crash tested by the NHTSA.

Please also see our pages on vehicle safety:

http://www.suvsafety.info/carguide.html

http://www.suvsafety.info/

http://www.suvsafety.info/links.html

In the end, only you can decide if it is worth the expense. If your children are seated correctly in a properly installed 5-point carseat model in the back seat, they should be safe in most vehicles. Older kids and adults wearing seatbelts and/or in the front seat will be at greater risk, especially in vehicles with mediocre safety ratings.

Good luck with your search!

Follow Up for Darran

Thank you Darran! Did I read this right though? Are you saying my kids are at LESS risk when they are younger and in a properly installed infant/booster seat then when they are older and relying upon the car's restraint system?

Thank you again!

--Jim

Yes-

In general, each "graduation" to the next type of restraint is a reduction in safety:-(

Rear-facing seats provide excellent safety. I believe it is in Austrailia that they call some of their infant models, "orphan makers," or something to that effect. With a properly used infant seat, babies may well survive crashes that would be unsurvivable for adults in the front seat. Also see our page at http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html .

Front-facing seats with a 5-point harness also provide reasonable protection, even in side impacts. They are better able to keep the children securely in the restraint system than other types of restraints.

Boosters and lap/shoulder belts work well in frontal crashes, if the passenger is properly restrained. Unfortunately, they may not provide adequate protection in side impacts or if the passenger is out-of position (sleeping on the door, leaning forward, shoulder belt behind their back, etc).

Fortunately, adults have more developed bodies and are somewhat better able to withstand crash forces. For kids, a properly installed and used child seat with a 5-point harness will provide a very good protection for them when used in the back seat.

Wow - amazing. Thanks Darran - this is a tremendous service you provide.

Since both kids are indeed in infant/toddler seats, I believe I am going to first make all the possible safety updates to my Cherokee and wait a little while on the mini-van. I was not crazy about the Toyota and was really locked in on the Odyssey. I am hearing it might be better to wait for the next model year however.

In the interim, new tires and brakes on the Cherokee, another safety inspection on the car seats, and good defensive driving will be the plan.

Thanks again Darran. Again, this is a tremendous resource for caring parents everywhere.

--Jim

Incidentally, I own a current model Odyssey and think it is probably one of the safest vehicles on the road. Even so, if I was buying brand new I would strongly consider a model with those features.