Vehicle car seats and over weight people...

3 ladybugs · Mar 21, 2013

I am sure this question isn't PC but I have been wondering it for a few years now. I am hoping someone has the answer for me.

What are typical car seats rated for? I heard that it was only tested for a 180 lbs adult. Is that true? What if a person is twice that weight? Could they potentially be a danger to other occupants in the car?

I am just trying to be as safe as possible in the car with my children. I have several family members that are about 250 - 300 lbs (guess on my part but I know what I weight, and what DH weighs and so I can make an educated guess). I would hate to have someone in the wrong spot in my car when my children are there should the unthinkable happen.

What are car manufacturers doing about the increasing waistlines of americans? Are they rating carseats for higher weight people?

Like I said, I know this isn't PC and I know I have asked on another board, but no answers were really given (or maybe my pregnancy brain forgot them

) so thank you for any help you can give me.

Dillipop · Mar 21, 2013

I though I read somewhere that seatbelts are rated to at least 300 pounds but I can't be sure and I have nothing to back it up.

LISmama810 · Mar 21, 2013

The 95th percentile adult male dummy weighs 215 lbs.

There are a bunch of numbers involving webbing strength, etc. I'm in a hurry and can't look through all of it now, but here's the text of FMVSS 209, which pertains to seat belts: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=571.209

As for the seats themselves, there might also be strength regulations involving those, but I'm not sure. Are you worried about a heavy passenger slamming into the front seat from the back, or the back of the front seat collapsing on rebound?

safeinthecar · Mar 21, 2013

Vehicle seat collapse standards are deprecate from seatbelt standards and are very weak in comparison. A well made lawn chair can pass the collapse standards, however there is a voluntary seat strength standard that many manufactures adhere to. There is a list, but I'm mobile at the moment and can't link you. I know for sure Honda, Ford and Nissan are on the list. Toyota is for some vehicles and not others last time I checked, but that may have changed since I was last car shopping. One thing you can look for that ensures higher seat standard are if the seatbelts attach to the seat instead of the pillars and floor.

3 ladybugs · Mar 21, 2013

LISmama810 said:
The 95th percentile adult male dummy weighs 215 lbs.

There are a bunch of numbers involving webbing strength, etc. I'm in a hurry and can't look through all of it now, but here's the text of FMVSS 209, which pertains to seat belts: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=571.209

As for the seats themselves, there might also be strength regulations involving those, but I'm not sure. Are you worried about a heavy passenger slamming into the front seat from the back, or the back of the front seat collapsing on rebound?

The only weight I am able to find on there is 97.5 KG (or 215 lbs). That doesn't make me feel any better. :thumbsdown: DH would be pushing that!

Hmm... how sad that this issue isn't being reported if this is accurate. There are a lot of people that weigh more then 215 lbs that are driving around.

dneul · Mar 21, 2013

I am interested in knowing about this as well. My best friend's weight climbed up to 370 (she is down to 363 after a week of walking with me though :thumbsup

I have a dodge... Is this something I should be concerned about?

3 ladybugs · Mar 21, 2013

I missed a question on here.

I am worried about someone either in front or behind my child ( I have an Odyssey) slamming into them in the event of a crash. I guess this could also be a worry if they were beside my child as well.

I know child car seats are designed to reduce the impact on the child and only look at the outside forces in relation to an empty car. You put a 300+ person in the front seat and a 15 lbs rear facing infant behind them, I don't know much about physics but that is a bit scary to me. At least on the surface. Any rear facing seat isn't going to have much of a buffer between the infant seat and the forward seat.

So that is my worry. What can be done about it, I am not sure. I guess I could tell family we don't have room for them in my car (assuming this is a potential problem). But I would like to know this before I have a problem.

Vehicle car seats and over weight people...

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