The safest configuration for these 4 kids...?

I have a 99 Explorer with 2 Radians. I have 2 kids. A 3 year old, 36", 29lbs, rearfacing behind the passenger seat (at about a 30 degree angle). An 8 month old, 12lbs, rearfacing in the center at a 45 degree angle.

I will be babysitting my niece and nephew 3 days a week for the summer (actually starting this month) and will need to be driving them from place to place. My nephew is 4 1/2, 40+ lbs, and we're getting an Evenflo Chase seat which harnesses to 47lbs front facing, and this will go behind the driver seat.

The problem comes in with my niece... she's 7 years old, also just over 40lbs (she's a stringbean like her mom). She will be using a backless booster, and will obviously have to sit in the front (unfortunately), since there are no other seats. The problem is, I have driver and passenger airbags, with no on/off switch. The recommended solution for a child having to ride in the front, is to have the seat all the way back. But with my 3 year old rearfacing behind her, (even at only 30 degrees), the seat doesn't go all the way back. Probably only about halfway

The only solution I can think of is to turn my 3 year old forward facing so that I can put the passenger seat all the way back. Is this the safest solution, or is there something I haven't thought of?

I know it seems like such a tiny deal since his seat "technically" only goes to 30lbs rearfacing anyways, (in Canada), but I (like other Canadians I've seen on here), planned on using it rearfacing to the "off-label" 33lbs that it's safe to in the States. Which, for him, would be quite awhile still, as he's small, skinny and on a slow growth curve. I thought of just doing it for the summer and then just putting him back, but, he's already been asking to turn around, since he's turned around in his Cosco AlphaOmega in Daddy's truck. (That one only goes to 30lbs RF, and last month he was a hair over 30, so we turned that seat). I'm afraid if he's FF in both vehicles for the whole summer, there's no way he'll want to turn back around. But, all I can do, (aside from buying a minivan, lol), is choose the lesser of two evils. And, it seems to me that having my in airbag range is FAR more dangerous than switching my 3 year old to FF status, right???

I think that the oldest harnessed child should go in the front seat, in this case, your nephew. But you have to tether in Canada..... If there was a tether available in the front seat, I would put the FF nephew in the front seat, and he booster niece in the back with your children. How much space is there from the front seat to the dash when the seat is as far back as it can go with your son's RF seat behind it?

Yup, what Janeca said...put a harnessed child up front for sure and push the vehicle seat all the way back.:twocents:

strollerfreak said:

Yup, what Janeca said...put a harnessed child up front for sure and push the vehicle seat all the way back.:twocents:

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But what about the tether issue? It's not option in Canada, she MUST tether a FF harnessed seat. From a legal standpoint, (unless there is a tether for the front passenger seat,) the boostered child is the only one able to go in the front.

(I'm curious too because we've had a similar situation.)

Yeah, there is no tether for the front seat. There were actually no tethers at all, but Ford installs the 3 rear tethers for free on older models, so we had that done.

As for the distance, I'll measure it tomorrow, as DH took my car out tonight.

Any other suggestions?

Can you move your 3 yr old's seat behind the driver's seat so the passenger seat can be all the way back?

I "might" be able to drive comfortably and safely if I did, but DH wouldn't be able to, and he drives my car a fair bit as well. (He's short, but he has long legs, and the Radian is so high backed, it runs into the seat pretty quickly).

How exactly is the law stated in Canada? Yes, seats need to be tethered but if a car doesn't have tether anchors can you still use them? I thought you could.

I was thinking putting the 4 year old in the front in the radian and 3 year old in the chase in the back My reasoning was that from what I've read here the radian performs better without a tether then other seats. The chase is certified to 47 lbs in canada because it can be tested with the tether but only to 40 in the US since the US standards don't allow it to be tested with the tether. The radian on the other hand is certified to 65 lbs in the US so it did pass the tests without the tether.

Would the 7 year old fit in the radian? You could get a cheap rear-facing seat for the baby and you wouldn't be out much money and you would feel safer.

In that situation I would be perfectly fine turning the 3 year old around, I'm much more worried about the 7 year old, who is barely 40 lbs, being in a booster in front of the airbag.

Best of Luck!

emandbri said:

How exactly is the law stated in Canada? Yes, seats need to be tethered but if a car doesn't have tether anchors can you still use them? I thought you could.

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I've always understood that it was mandatory, not a "if your car comes equipped" thing. Dealerships in Canada are generally well-informed about retro-fitting older vehicles.

emandbri said:

How exactly is the law stated in Canada? Yes, seats need to be tethered but if a car doesn't have tether anchors can you still use them? I thought you could.

I was thinking putting the 4 year old in the front in the radian and 3 year old in the chase in the back My reasoning was that from what I've read here the radian performs better without a tether then other seats. The chase is certified to 47 lbs in canada because it can be tested with the tether but only to 40 in the US since the US standards don't allow it to be tested with the tether. The radian on the other hand is certified to 65 lbs in the US so it did pass the tests without the tether.

Would the 7 year old fit in the radian? You could get a cheap rear-facing seat for the baby and you wouldn't be out much money and you would feel safer.

In that situation I would be perfectly fine turning the 3 year old around, I'm much more worried about the 7 year old, who is barely 40 lbs, being in a booster in front of the airbag.

Best of Luck!

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Tethers are *MANDATORY* period. There is no way of getting around it.

Also, from what I have been told, those combo seats that FF to 47lbs and only go to 40lbs in the States are NOT the same. The 40lbs version does not magically go up to 47lbs just because you attach a top tether strap to it. This is dangerous info to imply (especially to US residents), so we need to be careful how we word things.

OP: I thought we had already covered this issue on a previous thread? Or am I losing my mind?

What had been recommended (and decided I believe) was to FF the 3 year old and put the 7 year old in the front in the booster with the seat all the way back. It is the safest option with what you have to work with. Both the 3 year old and the 4.5 year old will have to go outboard in the 2nd row as that is where the available tether anchors are.

I have to run out, but I'll come double check my info for you in a bit.

ETA: Yep... double posted. Here's the original...http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=46073

What about getting a shorter rear facing seat for the baby, putting the 3 yo in the center and then putting the baby behind the passenger seat?

That should allow the seat to be pushed back further (and possibly all the way) for the boostered child.

OP: I thought we had already covered this issue on a previous thread? Or am I losing my mind?

What had been recommended (and decided I believe) was to FF the 3 year old and put the 7 year old in the front in the booster with the seat all the way back. It is the safest option with what you have to work with. Both the 3 year old and the 4.5 year old will have to go outboard in the 2nd row as that is where the available tether anchors are.

I have to run out, but I'll come double check my info for you in a bit.

ETA: Yep... double posted. Here's the original...http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=46073

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Yeah, I posted it here first and then cross-posted it in the Canadian section when I realized that could have a bearing on my options.

I am doing it exactly how you described in this quote.

Driver console 7 year old
4 yr old baby 3 year old

7 yr old in backless booster, seat ALL the way back, and shoulder belt LOCKED with retractor
4 yr old in the Chase
Baby RF in Radian (I changed the angle from 45 to around 35 so the passenger seat could still come all the way back)
3 yr old FF in Radian

Aside from buying a shorter seat for the baby (so 3 yr old can RF in middle) as suggested in the last post here, this is the safest, most legal option available for all. (Not to mention that legally, the 3 year old HAS outgrown the Radian RF anyways. I was hoping to use it to 33, but it's only stickered to 30, and Wyatt fluctuates from 29.5-30.5 at this point)

I've already reinstalled everything for the new configuration, and tested everything out, and they all fit well. With the shoulder belt locked, and no back on the booster to push her closer to the bag, even with her head/neck extending forward in a crash, there's a lot more than the 10" or 25cms my owner's manual states for the airbag to come out.

Thanks for your help everyone