Bullet-proof carseats. Child death mentioned.

bnsnyde · Oct 9, 2011

Reason #487 to use a carseat:
Maybe it would safe a child's life from bullets.

Friday night a 5-year-old was shot by gang bullets (it's thought) in the back seat of a car in Elgin, and died. He was back there with his mother, toddler sibling and baby sibling. Since there were 4 people back there I'm assuming no carseat use. I don't know the details, but what if they'd all been in seats and somehow the bullet got deflected from the carseat, and the child lived? It would be a carseat saving a life in a new way.

Stelvis · Oct 9, 2011

That's an incredibly sad story. But I doubt that the plastic used in most seats would be enough to deflect a bullet, depending on the type of firearm and bullet used and the angle that it hit.

bnsnyde · Oct 9, 2011

It might not, true.
But it seems they had no protection whatsoever.
Plus, if they'd been restrained maybe their position would have been such that it would be less likely the bullet would hit a child...
I'm just speculating. I'm picturing all of them bouncing around the back seat.

carseatcoach · Oct 9, 2011

Carseats are wonderful, potentially life-saving devices -- but it's a real stretch to think that a carseat would or should hold up against a bullet. I am not putting reason #487 on my list of why to use carseats.

Judi · Oct 9, 2011

No, you have a point here. Let's say they were all sitting side by side. If they were in car seats, they would be in a slightly different spot.

Stelvis · Oct 9, 2011

Judi said:
No, you have a point here. Let's say they were all sitting side by side. If they were in car seats, they would be in a slightly different spot.

Yeah, but it sounds like the bullet hit pretty randomly. So maybe that kid would have lived but the one next to him would have been hit. Or in this particular instance, it would have positioned everyone so the bullet missed, but in another instance, it would have positioned a kid perfectly to get hit. Random bad luck.

If you think about the likely direction a bullet would have to come from to hit a 5 year old who was sitting (assuming he was sitting) with no booster in the back seat of a car, it probably would have to be from the front or side, and aiming down from the height of the shooter. Those would be the same angles that an FF car seat shell would provide almost no protection against.

Syllieann · Oct 9, 2011

I bet that a deep shell seat w/ eps foam would have been enough to stop a low caliber hollow point and if children were positioned w/ most protected outboard and least protected inboard it's a real possibility that it may have helped. Not sure what kind of ammo gangsters use these days, :scratcheshead: buckled in properly could have also lined kids up so a high caliber full metal jacket could have gone straight through all of them in a row.

Stelvis · Oct 9, 2011

We need someone to collect a bunch of expired seats and perform a series of ballistics tests. I'm skeptical that EPS foam would stop a bullet.

Judi · Oct 9, 2011

On it. Be right back.

Judi · Oct 9, 2011

We tend to use car seats as targets.

22, 38 and bird shot from a 12 guage.

Bullet went through the seat and the back.

Brigala · Oct 9, 2011

Any barrier has some chance of slowing or stopping a bullet if the angle and other factors are just right, but I don't think the odds are in favor of a car seat protecting children from stray bullets.

LISmama810 · Oct 9, 2011

OMG, Judi, you're too much.

bnsnyde · Oct 9, 2011

OMG!

I can't shoot my carseats or the neighbors would wonder. Not that they don't wonder already.

That carseat might be expired. So maybe it's just weak in the shell.

Stelvis · Oct 9, 2011

OMG!

So the foam didn't stop the bullets?

Judi · Oct 9, 2011

No, the foam does not stop the bullet for the record, neither does a fridge. We have a shooting range in the back yard.

fyrfightermomma · Oct 9, 2011

Yeah a thin plastic seat and foam have no match against a bullet. I mean, if sometimes bullet proof vests fail, seats don't stand a chance. And yes, I've shot one or two

. It could have possibly changed the position of the child but in those cases its likely the bullet would have struck someone else in the car instead. And chances are if they weren't in seats, the mom could have gotten the other children "down" quicker thus possibly preventing more deaths.

What a sad sad story. You should never fear you will be shot in your car

Syllieann · Oct 9, 2011

The pics are great but i still think it's going to depend on the ammo a lot. Some of the hollow points are touted for home security because they supposedly don't penetrate drywall. The whole point is that as soon as it penetrates something the tip explodes so it doesn't go any further. Of course, it causes lots of damage wherever it expands. Of course, i don't feel confident enough in the drywall proof bullets that i'd ever stand on the other side of the wall, but between drywall and foam/plastic combo, you think the drywall is that much sturdier?

tam_shops · Oct 9, 2011

So sad...

Don't some of the seats (Radian) have metal in them? Can't hurt, but really, if the bullet is going through the trunk/car (like the fridge), it's not going to help, even if it can't hurt. Such unnecessary sadness.

tam

Judi · Oct 9, 2011

If you want, I will shoot a non expired car seat with a hollow point. Pick the bullet type. I assume a 22?

agave · Oct 9, 2011

If someone wants to donate a seat I'll do more tests.

Bullet-proof carseats. Child death mentioned.

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