harnessed seat in front vs. booster in back?

singingpond · Jun 26, 2007

Hypothetically, given a small car with no side airbags and relatively poor side impact ratings (e.g. my '96 Corolla), is a child safer in the back, outboard (right up by the door) in a HBB, or in the front passenger seat in a big harnessed seat (e.g. Regent)? For the sake of argument, assume the front seat is as far back as possible, and, if necessary, that the passenger side airbag can be disabled.

I'm assuming the rear seating position is still safer statistically, but would be curious to hear other opinions on pros and cons...

Katrin

ThreeBeans · Jun 26, 2007

Why can't you put a harnessed seat in the back?

Also, age height and weight of the child?

mommyto4kiddos · Jun 26, 2007

I guess I would say the front with the harness seat. In tech training we were taught that for a front facing seat, air bags weren't as dangerous. One question would be why couldn't you put the regent in the back? If it won't fit, I'd say put it in front but remember it has to be tethered at a certain weight, so it makes it tough for using in the front seat.

singingpond · Jun 26, 2007

mommyto4kiddos said:
I guess I would say the front with the harness seat. In tech training we were taught that for a front facing seat, air bags weren't as dangerous. One question would be why couldn't you put the regent in the back? If it won't fit, I'd say put it in front but remember it has to be tethered at a certain weight, so it makes it tough for using in the front seat.

Can't put Regent in the back because there are two other children, in seats, back there. DS is almost 6 y.o., weighs 43 pounds, which probably answers the other poster's question also on why I can't simply harness him in back. He's at maximum height in his Wizard (in a different vehicle), so there's not much available to harness him, other than the Regent. He might fit in a Radian a while longer, but I don't think it's much higher than the Wizard.

Interesting that you think a harnessed seat in the front may actually be the better option in this scenario...

Katrin

ThreeBeans · Jun 26, 2007

Can he sit maturely in a booster? I would awfully hesitant to put him in the front seat.

CPS_obsessed_EMT · Jun 26, 2007

I think this type of scenerio is always the toughest.

If you put him in the Regent up front, what are you tethering it to?

I would feel comfortable putting a 6 yr old in a booster seat in the back, as long as the child is mature enough to sit properly in the booster. Especially if the HBB has SIP.

Airbags aren't the only reason that kids shouldn't sit in the front seat. The front seat is more dangerous even for adults (I've heard the stat of by 60%)

In my class I just took, they said to put the harnessed kid in front, but I disagreed with this. I feel that a 6yr old is safer in the back granted he sits well in the booster. But that's JMO, you as the mother are the one that needs to do what you feel comfortable with.

all together ooky · Jun 26, 2007

It also matters what the law in you state is. Like, here in WI you must have the kid in a back seat if there is a seat available.

CPS_obsessed_EMT · Jun 26, 2007

all together ooky said:
It also matters what the law in you state is. Like, here in WI you must have the kid in a back seat if there is a seat available.

Very good point!

Victorious4 · Jun 26, 2007

After having read the other posts ... I'd rather use a Ride Safer Travel Vest in the rear center before either of the original options.

joolsplus3 · Jun 26, 2007

I agree, Tiffany. But if these were the only two options, I'd absolutely say booster in back if the kid can sit properly in it.

CDNTech · Jun 26, 2007

:yeahthat:

LeeLi · Jun 26, 2007

Or use an 86-Y(as discussed in another thread) with a HBB booster in the backseat. It's the best possible situation-harness, backseat, SIP from the booster.

Victorious4 · Jun 27, 2007

LeeLi, I like your solution best :thumbsup:

singingpond · Jun 27, 2007

LeeLi said:
Or use an 86-Y(as discussed in another thread) with a HBB booster in the backseat. It's the best possible situation-harness, backseat, SIP from the booster.

Yes, I was just reading the 86-Y thread, and that really looks promising -- would allow a child in a HBB to sit in the middle position even in a vehicle with lap-belt only there, and would allow that older/heavier child to be harnessed also... Now I just need to figure out a practical way for DS to get to the middle position -- i.e. how to get over/under/past the two RF seats that would be outboard for his sibs.

Now, if only there were a tether anchor location available for the driver, I'd buy one for myself also.

Katrin

Victorious4 · Jun 27, 2007

Eh, get some cheap plain looking seat covers for the front & let kiddo climb through the front passenger seat area -- kids like that kinda thing

Victorious4 · Jun 27, 2007

Sorry -- double post....

twokidstwodogs · Jun 27, 2007

Assuming that the child is over 4, 40 lbs, and can sit properly in the booster, I'd definitely go for the booster. (I'm setting aside the 86-Y option.) There is, at present, no solid evidence supporting the safety of a harnessed seat over a highback booster for a child of the proper age, size, and maturity. There is, however, solid evidence supporting the safety of the back seat over the front seat, particularly for a young child. So that's an easy one for me.

Victorious4 · Jun 27, 2007

While this is true to a certain degree, only because there isn't enough extended harnessing in practice to have enough comparative data, the logic is still faltering: it is well established/known that a harness does decrease head excursion (forward movement) & does increase safety in side impacts + roll overs -- if there were no significant safety advantage then harnessing would not be a standard in the racing industry, etc....

Parents should not worry unnecessarily if their kids are using boosters properly, but we should also not encourage switching to a booster before a child reaches harness limits (even when kiddo can use a booster with 3 point belt correctly) because every seat "graduation" = a decrease in safety. Harnesses are about 70% safer than seatbelt alone while boosters are only about 50% safer than seatbelt alone so it stands to reason that correctly used harnesses are in fact safer than correctly used boosters even if we don't have real world data (again, since extended harnessing just isn't common enough):twocents: Any techs have the actual percentage numbers?

mommyto4kiddos · Jun 27, 2007

I guess as a mom I would choose a harnessed seat over a booster or the vest. I think something can be said for ease of use. The easier something is to use the more likely it will be used 100% correctly every time. I'd rather already have the seat in the car and buckle the child in it and tighten then have to put on the vest and buckle it in. If i never had adults ride in my car, I would put one of my carseats in the front and the booster kid in the back but since then i'd be unbuckling carseats everytime someone else rode with me there would be a chance it wouldn't be as good each time.

If the regent didn't need a tether I would put my 7 year old in front and then my 9 in parkway in the back with my 4yr in ff ma and my 2 yr in rf ra

From what I've seen its better to have a harrnessed kid in the front than a booster.
I'd say do what you feel best doing, I was awake many nights trying to figure out what seats and how to arrange them so I know I have my situation workable with what choices I have.

I've been suprised that there is no agreement in what is best in these situations. Seems like every tech and every class likes something different.

Victorious4 · Jun 27, 2007

It's a sort of gray area -- basically, you want the oldest harnessed kid up front, but it can still depend on variables: maturity, sitting height, etc.... I'd rather see the situation IRL.

harnessed seat in front vs. booster in back?

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