multimac in the us? or other solutions for 4 in the back

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

is multimac available/legal in the usa?
if not, is there a solution for 4 kids in the back?

I have 4 kids of my own that I drive to school (9, 6, 3, 1) and a friend is begging me to take her 3 (6, 4, 2)

I'm willing to buy a new car that would fit the crowd if there is such a thing.
I do not want a 10 seats van,
I prefer not to put anyone in the front (what is the safest option if I do consider that as an option- who should I put there?)

Thank you for any input!

LISmama810 · Mar 11, 2012

Hi there!

No, the Multimac is not available in the US, and no, there's no way to get four in a row in a standard vehicle.

With an 8-passenger minivan and the right combination of seats, you can get six kids in the back and one up front.

Without airbags, I'd put a rear-facing kid up front. Without airbags, generally the oldest harnesses (forward-facing) child would go up front, but that's not always possible in every situation.

What is the make/model/year of your current vehicle?

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

you mean with airbags, oldest harnessed and without- a rear facing? the airbags can be deactivated. so what is better?
I can fit my 9 year old in a 5 point, she is very petit. and I have a radian carseat. is that tthe best safest option?
I have a honda odyssey 2008 and I fit 6 kids sometimes when I have to, but buying a new car soon.

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

Ekl said:
you mean with airbags, oldest harnessed and without- a rear facing? the airbags can be deactivated. so what is better?
I can fit my 9 year old in a 5 point, she is very petit. and I have a radian carseat. is that tthe best safest option?
I have a honda odyssey 2008 and I fit 6 kids sometimes when I have to, but buying a new car soon.

or is a baby (1.5 year old. 22 lbs. still has room to grow in his infant seat..) in a rear facing with deactivated airbag safer?

cookie123 · Mar 11, 2012

Does she want you to baby sit all 3 of her kids, or just drive them to school?
Personally, I would say no can do either way! I'm not tolerant of other people's kids for too long. I'm fine if the parent is there taking care of them.

I for sure wouldn't get another car to make it work.

Generally, I wouldn't put a rear facing seat in front unless there was a key switch for disabling the air bag.

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

I would only have to drive them (without the mom). I don't mind. it will distract my kids and there will be less fighting

my question is what is safer-
a baby in a rear facing car seat with a disabled airbag
OR
a 9 year old with a 5 point harness (let's assume she'd agree to sit in one) and an active airbag

?

I tend to go with the older child, just want to make sure it's right.

also, what is the difference between the front seat to the back seat safety-wise? am I putting my daughter in a serious risk putting her in the front?
because I wouldn't do it if the risk is much greater.

LISmama810 · Mar 11, 2012

You CANNOT put a rear-facing child in the front seat of a 2008 Odyssey. The sensors might turn off the airbag, but they cannot be relied on. Even when the sensors show the airbag off, your vehicle manual prohibits rear-facing seats from being there.

Unless you have an older vehicle with no airbag or a vehicle in which the airbag can be MANUALLY disabled (some pickup trucks, possibly sports cars), an airbag should be considered active.

So in your case, a forward-facing child would be the only option.

LISmama810 · Mar 11, 2012

cookie123 said:
Generally, I wouldn't put a rear facing seat in front unless there was a key switch for disabling the air bag.

Just wanted to re-emphasize, there's no "generally" about it. If there is an airbag, either it can be manually turned off, or it should be considered active.

YinzerMama · Mar 11, 2012

That must be some friend to consider buying a new car to haul her kids around.

Can you leave the babies with her while you drop the big ones off?

Kac · Mar 11, 2012

I would tell her that you cannot take her kids. I'm not comfortable with kids in the front unless COMPLETELY necessary or in an emergency, and this is neither.

cookie123 · Mar 11, 2012

LISmama810 said:
Just wanted to re-emphasize, there's no "generally" about it. If there is an airbag, either it can be manually turned off, or it should be considered active.

Right. There is no generally about it. Sorry I said it like that.

cookie123 · Mar 11, 2012

YinzerMama said:
That must be some friend to consider buying a new car to haul her kids around.

Can you leave the babies with her while you drop the big ones off?

It kind of sounds like she was getting a new vehicle anyway.

OP, I agree, don't do it. I wouldn't want to put a kiddo in the front either unless it was an emergency. Maybe she could keep all the little ones, and you could take the schoolage kids to school?

Little Ps Mama · Mar 11, 2012

Kac said:
I would tell her that you cannot take her kids. I'm not comfortable with kids in the front unless COMPLETELY necessary or in an emergency, and this is neither.

:yeahthatsad:

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

Thank you all for your input! I don't think I will do it. (and yes, we are buying a new car anyways

)

cookie123 · Mar 11, 2012

I'm glad you decided not to. Tell her you're not comfortable having kids ride in the front seat. I'm sure she'll understand. Good luck on finding a new vehicle!

finn · Mar 11, 2012

I would do it, but ds rides in the front twice a week, in his *gasp* booster. I have a harnessed 2 year old & a rear facing 10 month old in the back. I *can* get 3 across but it involves taking dd base out, getting the radian back from my friend who is borrowing it, getting the turbo out of dh's car, putting ds in the turbo, twisting it so that I can buckle, then pushing it back into place & using the seat belt to install dd capsule, it just screams trouble to me. So ds rides in the front to school & back. I have yet to come across any evidence that suggests that this is unsafe.

Ekl · Mar 11, 2012

Thank you!

bree · Mar 11, 2012

finn said:
I would do it, but ds rides in the front twice a week, in his *gasp* booster. I have a harnessed 2 year old & a rear facing 10 month old in the back. I *can* get 3 across but it involves taking dd base out, getting the radian back from my friend who is borrowing it, getting the turbo out of dh's car, putting ds in the turbo, twisting it so that I can buckle, then pushing it back into place & using the seat belt to install dd capsule, it just screams trouble to me. So ds rides in the front to school & back. I have yet to come across any evidence that suggests that this is unsafe.

Do you have an airbag that you can manually disable? I know that some vehicles outside of the US have the ability to manually disable airbags. But as mentioned previously in this thread, most vehicles in the US do not have airbags that can be deactivated, including the OP's vehicle.

Airbags are dangerous for children, which is a primary reason for why the front seat is less safe than the backseat for children beyond the frequency of frontal impacts, and there is research to suggest that. That's why cars in the US have warnings on the visor of the front seats and in the manuals with wording like children under age 12 should ride in the back.

NHTSA.gov includes the following statement in their 8-12year old category (this age range is the range that they recommend using boosters until the seatbelt fits): "Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it is safer there."

There's even research to suggest that children under the age of 15, rather than 12, are safer in the backseat than in front of an airbag. This article, Front Airbags Risky for Teens, explains the research that has shown the airbag is more likely to cause injury than be protective for children under the age of 15. This is the abstract of the journal article.

ETA: I know that riding in front of an active airbag for an older child who is not rear-facing is considered permissible by some in certain circumstances, but I was just trying to provide some of the available information to show that guidelines and research do exist which show that children are safer in the backseat.

finn · Mar 11, 2012

bree said:
Do you have an airbag that you can manually disable? I know that some vehicles outside of the US have the ability to manually disable airbags. But as mentioned previously in this thread, most vehicles in the US do not have airbags that can be deactivated, including the OP's vehicle.

Airbags are dangerous for children, which is a primary reason for why the front seat is less safe than the backseat for children beyond the frequency of frontal impacts, and there is research to suggest that. That's why cars in the US have warnings on the visor of the front seats and in the manuals with wording like children under age 12 should ride in the back.

NHTSA.gov includes the following statement in their 8-12year old category (this age range is the range that they recommend using boosters until the seatbelt fits): "Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it is safer there."

There's even research to suggest that children under the age of 15, rather than 12, are safer in the backseat than in front of an airbag. This article, Front Airbags Risky for Teens, explains the research that has shown the airbag is more likely to cause injury than be protective for children under the age of 15. This is the abstract of the journal article.

ETA: I know that riding in front of an active airbag for an older child who is not rear-facing is considered permissible by some in certain circumstances, but I was just trying to provide some of the available information to show that guidelines and research do exist which show that children are safer in the backseat.

Thanks I will go and look at those links, I know the back is safer, but it's safer for everyone not just kids, in reality only the driver should sit in the front if there are seats available in the back. All of the links I have seen talk about kids wiggling out of position, or the shoulder belt being behind their back. Ds is an awesome booster rider who doesn't wiggle. We also only drive on urban streets doing lower speeds than out on the motorway.

I do see lots of kids in the front here, generally without a booster

because once again "it won't happen to them".

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

LISmama810 · Mar 11, 2012

finn said:
Thanks I will go and look at those links, I know the back is safer, but it's safer for everyone not just kids, in reality only the driver should sit in the front if there are seats available in the back. All of the links I have seen talk about kids wiggling out of position, or the shoulder belt being behind their back. Ds is an awesome booster rider who doesn't wiggle. We also only drive on urban streets doing lower speeds than out on the motorway.

I do see lots of kids in the front here, generally without a booster because once again "it won't happen to them".

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

I believe there's some new evidence that modern front seats (active headrests, advanced airbags, side airbags, etc) actually make the front seat safer for adults, but I don't have a link to that, and I might be remembering wrong.

First-generation airbags were dangerous for children and smaller adults even when not out of position. Smaller adults are doing much better with advanced airbags, but I don't know about kids.

multimac in the us? or other solutions for 4 in the back

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