I need a hand sorting out who should sit where...

We are parking one car for at least a year while I'm on mat leave. (My Rondo will become a lawn ornament ) We are keeping hubby's truck on the road because we use it for towing etc. In my Rondo I never really thought about SIP because I have airbags everywhere (12) but the truck doesn't have any for the back seats.

So who should go where -
2002 GMC Sierra
Suicide Doors (4 doors but the back ones open opposite of a usual door.)
Latch on both outboard positions in the back
Middle back seat has NO HEADREST AND NO SHOULDER BELT!
Latch on the passenger front seat AND ability to turn off the airbag

Kids are-
61/2 riding in a harnessed truefit then moving into a booster with sip (monterey maybe?)
51/2 riding in a harnessed in a generations
Newborn in a bucket (not sure what brand) then moving into the truefit

I am thinking that the rear-faced passenger is the safest person in the truck right? So I was maybe going to outboard the baby (first in the bucket and then the truefit), put the generations in the middle since it seems to have the least amount of sip and the truefit (then monterey or ?) outboard on the other side. Is this the safest plan?

I also don't think I should rear-face anyone in the middle because of the no headrest - in an accident would a rear faced seat smash into the glass window to the cab? I could always use the front seat too since I have latch etc there.

Thanks for reading my LONG post any suggestions are appreciated

mom1mg said:

I am thinking that the rear-faced passenger is the safest person in the truck right? So I was maybe going to outboard the baby (first in the bucket and then the truefit), put the generations in the middle since it seems to have the least amount of sip and the truefit (then monterey or ?) outboard on the other side. Is this the safest plan?

Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Exactly what I would suggest.

mom1mg said:

I also don't think I should rear-face anyone in the middle because of the no headrest - in an accident would a rear faced seat smash into the glass window to the cab? I could always use the front seat too since I have latch etc there.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't rear face in the middle for now, but not for those reasons. Like you said above, the rear facer is the most protected person, so leave the center spot for a forward facing, harnessed seat.

When your 5 1/2 year old moves to a booster, then rear face in the middle (because of no shoulder belt). If you're worried about face in glass, get a seat that has rebound control (rear facing tethering or an anti rebound bar). I wouldn't move the rear facer to the front (a known less safe thing) instead of leaving them in the back with the glass (an unknown).

i completely agree with pixels!

YAY!
I have learned soooo much here. I can't believe I figured it out right. (If my reasons may not have been - LOL)
THANKS!