Side airbags and booster

lourdes · Oct 4, 2015

So when I was on my CPST class they talked about boosters and side airbags and how dangerous it is to have a booster child next to a side airbags, so basically I want to know what you all think about this, right now we have a Sedona 2014 and DD is in a highback booster behind the driver, is she safe there? Do I need to move her to the 3rd row?

Nedra · Oct 4, 2015

Hmmm...I haven't taken the course, but I am surprised to hear this. I had read that there has only been one case of a child under 15 years old being injured by a side airbag and that was a situation where the child was also unrestrained and in the front seat. Is the concern that a booster rider might be leaning on the door frame?

lourdes · Oct 4, 2015

They said a booster child or a child without a booster should ride in the center and the harness child car ride next to the side air bag

bnsnyde · Oct 4, 2015

We have a Harmony Dreamtime 3rd row, totally right on the side airbag, basically. Now, that's hard plastic right by her head, right by the airbag. I wonder, if it goes off, is this safe? I can see plastic slamming into her head...??????

I could move her to a Harmony Youth.
I thought the highback offered more protection but I don't know.
What do people think?

Oh, and I mean the side curtain airbag.

LISmama810 · Oct 4, 2015

I haven't read the newest curriculum, but I find it very hard to believe that's in there.

jjordan · Oct 4, 2015

LISmama810 said:
I haven't read the newest curriculum, but I find it very hard to believe that's in there.

Yes, I agree. Everything else I've heard about side airbags is that it's fine to have kids next to them (regardless of harness/booster/seat belt situation).

Nedra · Oct 4, 2015

lourdes said:
They said a booster child or a child without a booster should ride in the center and the harness child car ride next to the side air bag

I have definitely heard that, whenever possible, the least protected child should be in the center. Is it possible that they were just saying this as a general rule and it wasn't specifically because of the air bag?

lourdes · Oct 4, 2015

It was on my book, but it's in Spanish so it's no use to post a picture here, the Sedona manual said to put the children far away from the side airbags, but then why will the have latch system on the captain chairs?

TechnoGranola · Oct 4, 2015

Are you talking side torso air bags that come of the seat? or the side air curtains that protect your head? Because the curtains are usually installed in the roof rail above the side windows and they drop down to cover the windows and pillars.

Seems very impractical to not have a booster rider outboard ever. What if you have more than one boostered child? What if you have a small car and can't fit a booster beside a convertible? What if your centre seat is raised or very narrow and a booster doesn't work there?

lukensophie · Oct 4, 2015

I took the renewal course in April and didn't remember anything about not placing a booster next to a side air bag. So, I pulled out my manual to take a look:

The manual states that usually, children may sit there without injury. As usual, we're reminded to check the car's manual just to be sure it isn't prohibited.

TechnoGranola · Oct 4, 2015

Transport Canada did a study while back, looks in 2001 and the paper was revised in 2006. http://www.hpw.gov.yk.ca/pdf/Side_Airbags.pdf

I noticed they say

Transport Canada has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Canadian and international motor vehicle manufacturers. Manufacturers have agreed to design future air bags to meet the requirements of side air bag test protocols recommended by the Side Air Bag Out-of-Position Injury Technical Working Group.

I wonder if that is happening now? I know that our '08 vehicle had sensors that if a person was out of position, i.e. leaning against the window, it shut the side air bags off and an indicator told you that the side air bags were off.

lourdes · Oct 4, 2015

So I went to the book and just like you said it say
Generally children can sit next to the side airbags without the risk of injury
And to read the owners manual
And then say if the owners manual forbid to place a car seat or a booster seat next to the side airbags you need to choose a different place,
So this is me doing my best translating this
So then the instructor talk about the danger of having a booster child or a no booster child next to the side airbag. That it was OK of the manual says ok but of not then there was a problem, now, there's my problem, the owners manual says to place the children far away from the side airbags..... Let me see if I can find the manual

lourdes · Oct 4, 2015

View attachment 27828

So what concerns me is when it says to put the child restrain as far away from the door as possible

Dillipop · Oct 4, 2015

lourdes said:
View attachment 27828

So what concerns me is when it says to put the child restrain as far away from the door as possible

I read that to mean, sit properly on the seat and don't lean towards the door. And don't install the child restraint as close to the door as possible but instead center it in its seating position.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nedra · Oct 4, 2015

lourdes said:
So what concerns me is when it says to put the child restrain as far away from the door as possible

I could be wrong, but I interpret this to just mean that when you install the restraint in an outboard position, you should avoid installing it too close to the door -- like, set it centered between the lower anchors rather than squeezing it close up to the door. I think it would only come up as an issue if you were trying to manage a tight 3-across.

Nedra · Oct 4, 2015

Dillipop said:
I read that to mean, sit properly on the seat and don't lean towards the door. And don't install the child restraint as close to the door as possible but instead center it in its seating position. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we were posting at the same time!

TechnoGranola · Oct 4, 2015

Dillipop said:
I read that to mean, sit properly on the seat and don't lean towards the door. And don't install the child restraint as close to the door as possible but instead center it in its seating position.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nedra said:
I could be wrong, but I interpret this to just mean that when you install the restraint in an outboard position, you should avoid installing it too close to the door -- like, set it centered between the lower anchors rather than squeezing it close up to the door. I think it would only come up as an issue if you were trying to manage a tight 3-across.

Agreed.

LISmama810 · Oct 4, 2015

:yeahthat:

murphydog77 · Oct 5, 2015

I always teach in my classes, and to parents at checkup events and at appointments, that side airbags are extremely beneficial provided no one is leaning against the door or window. I've come across serious side impact crashes where people are out walking around exchanging information instead of being mangled in their vehicles because of side airbags. Curtain airbags come down the length of the window and some vehicles are starting to have side torso bags in the back seat as well, so those should be pointed out to parents.

The page of the manual posted above could have been taken from any vehicle manual--it's pretty standard lawyer-speak. Think about it: if you lean against the window and you're broadsided, the likelihood you'll be gravely injured is pretty good, right? So they have to state that in the manual as a CYA. If you hang your arm out the window and the vehicle rolls and your arm is torn off, they have to state that in the manual to cover their butts, right?

And quite often we'll scoot a carseat over closer to the door to get 3 carseats to fit across. So the manual is stating right there not to do that. I wouldn't be concerned about any of that language.

You simply don't want a side curtain airbag coming down on top of you because you'll be interfering in its performance.

lourdes · Oct 5, 2015

Got it

Side airbags and booster

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