Is a DVD player safe for a rear facing child?

KsJET

New member
We are making a cross-country trip in 2 weeks (1800 miles *sigh*) so my mother-in-law bought us a dual screen DVD player. I can attach one to the driver's side headrest for the girls in the third row (we keep one captain's stowed so they will be able to see it) and one to the headrest of ds's chair facing him. It attaches with an elastic safety cord and very strong velcro. I can tighten the safety cord as well. I'm not worried about the screen that is attached to the driver's headrest, but I'm not so sure about the one on ds's seat. He can't reach it with his feet and it does feel secure, but I'm sure it hasn't been crash tested. Would you feel comfortable with this? I can take pictures of how it is attached to the headrest if this would help.
 
Last edited:
ADS

southpawboston

New member
personally, i wouldn't use them. unlike a small RF mirror, they are designed with hard and sharp-edged plastic. as a parent and an engineer, my instinct is no. but i am not a tech. i know others here, including techs, have made parental decisions to use them. you can use the argument that they promote safer driving by keeping the driver less distracted. but it is your choice.

also, i am not only concerned about frontal impacts when evaluating potential projectiles. i am concerned that in any type of impact, there is almost always more than one direction component (front/side/rear/up/down). things go flying every which way, not just in one direction.

we will be making a 450 mile drive each way this holiday season. i'm not looking forward to it :(.
 

KsJET

New member
Thanks for your opinion! They are very light weight screens, but I'm sure they are still capable of doing damage in a crash if they become projectiles. What if I somehow manage to attach it to the tether hook on the back of the seat as well? That particular tether hook is not being used because I have the Marathon tethered to the bottom of the front passenger seat.
 

Chameleon

New member
Of course any tech will tell you they are not safe and they are right --hard plastic hurts the head.

That said, I have made the parental decision to use them before RF for my son. I couldn't have made the 1000 mile trip one way to my home state without them. I drove with two kids by myself without DH. I was not going without DVD players also.;)

You have to weigh the risks vs the benefits. I was not going to get in a wreck by listening to my kids fight vs letting them watch a DVD player and be calm.
 

mommy2env

Active member
Sorry to piggyback on your thread...

A while back, I saw someone post a link to some slip-cover type of dvd player. I have searched, and searched and nothing. Can someone please link?

I know they are not safe, but sometimes you have to make the "parental decision" :shrug-shoulders:
 

KsJET

New member
He's a pretty good traveler, but I'm sure he will be significantly happier with the option to watch movies. The kids rarely watch tv at home and we will only use the DVD players for long trips, so this is quite a novelty for them.

I'm going to see what I can rig up to make sure it is absolutely as secure as possible.
 

amy919

New member
I have a dual screen DVD player and we do use it for my RF daughter. Mine is not the velcro kind though. It has hardware that actually bolts to the headrest. I made the parental decision to use it because 1) there is no way this thing is coming off without the use of tools; and 2) there is no way my daughter is going to come that far out of the seat to hit the screen. Likewise for my FF daughter, I just don't see her flying out of her 5 point harness far enough to hit the screen.
 

TXAggieTech

Active member
We have an Alpine TME 580 monitor for our son. It is bracket mounted and bolted to the seat. It would not be there if our son wasn't in a tether seat! We have a 2003 Excursion with 180,000+ miles on it, I don't think we would have made it without movies.

It is like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Alpine-TME-580-5-8-inch-wide-screen_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38650QQihZ001QQitemZ110202905077

Before we put anything in the car I ask myself if I would throw it at my son. If I wouldn't we either don't use it or make sure it is bolted down!
 

keri1292

Well-known member
Unfortunately, we've also decided to use them. Same set up. Two FFing kids in back rpw and 1 RFing kiddo in 2nd. We use ours ONLY for long trips. We take a 4 hour trip about once a month and a few day trips in the summer. When they are not in use, I remove them. It's the best I can think of. A 4 hour trip by myself straight through the mountains is torture. They fight, scream and just cause chaos in the car. :( The DVD player is a magic "OFF" button.
 

lovemyfamily

New member
Sounds like yours is very similar to what we have. I use ours only for long trips, 3+ hours or more, so they never use it in town. It attaches with the elastic lanyard over the headrest and then velcro and I feel that it is secure and wouldn't be just easily coming off.
I agree that while a projectile in your vehicle could be dangerous, so could the driver being distracted by screaming kiddos.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,898
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top