Please help me answer this question about cars!

mom2juliarose · Jun 12, 2009

In light of the news story on GMA I have friends asking questions. One asked, "If rear-facing is proven to be safer, then why don't car manufacturers start making cars with the rear seat rear-facing?"

Any good responses to that?

Of course, current car seats aren't tested on RFing benches so they wouldn't be safe on those seats, but there must be more...

Help?

TIA!

4boysmom · Jun 12, 2009

mom2juliarose said:
In light of the news story on GMA I have friends asking questions. One asked, "If rear-facing is proven to be safer, then why don't car manufacturers start making cars with the rear seat rear-facing?"

Any good responses to that?

Of course, current car seats aren't tested on RFing benches so they wouldn't be safe on those seats, but there must be more...

Help?

TIA!

My guess is because people would rather have "a view"/interact with the driver than be safeR. I don't think there would be a huge market for rear facing rear seats so manufacters won't make them.

Guest · Jun 12, 2009

4boysmom said:
My guess is because people would rather have "a view"/interact with the driver than be safeR. I don't think there would be a huge market for rear facing rear seats so manufacters won't make them.

Exactly. People want a view. Most passengers will not be in car seats, so the bodies will be developed enough to use passive safety devices like seatbelts and airbags to keep em safe.

That leaves the market to protect kids up to car seat manufacturers.

SafeDad · Jun 12, 2009

mom2juliarose said:
In light of the news story on GMA I have friends asking questions. One asked, "If rear-facing is proven to be safer, then why don't car manufacturers start making cars with the rear seat rear-facing?"

Any good responses to that?

Of course, current car seats aren't tested on RFing benches so they wouldn't be safe on those seats, but there must be more...

Help?

TIA!

Diminishing returns. The improvement in safety is diminished as you get older and your body develops. The bones and connective tissues are bigger and better able to withstand crash forces. Of course, no one cares about that. The sad fact of the matter is that adults just prefer to be forward facing and no one would tend to buy a vehicle with all rear-facing seats if they had a choice.

I don't mind sitting rear-facing on a bus, train or airplane, depending on the situation.

Pixels · Jun 12, 2009

codex57 said:
Exactly. People want a view. Most passengers will not be in car seats, so the bodies will be developed enough to use passive safety devices like seatbelts and airbags to keep em safe.

That leaves the market to protect kids up to car seat manufacturers.

Seatbelts are an active device.

Loves2sing · Jun 12, 2009

It's also hard to drive a car if you are RFing and can't see where you are going...

mom2juliarose · Jun 12, 2009

Loves2sing said:
It's also hard to drive a car if you are RFing and can't see where you are going...

With the rear seat rearfacing, that shouldn't be an issue...?

4boysmom · Jun 12, 2009

Loves2sing said:
It's also hard to drive a car if you are RFing and can't see where you are going...

To be fair the op/friend said "...then why don't car manufacturers start making cars with the rear seat rear-facing?" But yeah that was my first thought as well until I reread the posting

.

southpawboston · Jun 12, 2009

mom2juliarose said:
With the rear seat rearfacing, that shouldn't be an issue...?

unless you're a back-seat driver like myself

Jeanum · Jun 12, 2009

Here's an interesting picture I took of a Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode crossover concept car at the Detroit auto show back in January of this year:

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j...rrent=2009NAIASautoshowpicturesHyundaiIMo.jpg

Notice the front passenger seat's positioning?

Although its designers were probably more inspired by the notion of allowing an adult sized front passenger seat occupant to interact with back seat occupants than by the physics and safety of rear facing, it could be a sign of things to come down the automotive feature pipeline. Presumably the front passenger airbag would have an off switch if this design ever makes it to the market since rear facing in front of an active frontal airbag is big safety no-no.

In terms of cars currently on the market, Dodge/Chrysler minivans have had optional second row rear facing "swivel and go" seating available since the '08 model year, but as stated above, children's carseats aren't allowed to be installed upon the rear facing vehicle seats.

Pixels · Jun 12, 2009

Jeanum said:
Presumably the front passenger airbag would have an off switch if this design ever makes it to the market since rear facing in front of an active frontal airbag is big safety no-no.

Unless the seat is designed to be strong enough to take the impact of the airbag. I believe that there used to be one infant seat that was okay to put in front of the airbag because they made it to take that impact. It should be even easier to design a full-sized vehicle seat to be strong enough.

Jeanum · Jun 12, 2009

What makes you think that it would be easier to apply to a vehicle seat? The infant seat was recalled and short lived on the market, not sure if that bodes well for extrapolating into a vehicle seat if the concept car ever comes to fruition.

Pixels · Jun 13, 2009

Because a vehicle seat is thicker, there should be more room to put in reinforcing materials (steel frame, extra padding, etc) to give it the necessary strength.

Was the infant seat recalled because it wasn't protecting against the airbag, or for a different reason?

Jeanum · Jun 13, 2009

I don't recall but it's on the recall list.

I just cannot wrap my brain around the concept of anyone riding rear facing in front of an active airbag.

crunchierthanthou · Jun 13, 2009

Jeanum said:
I don't recall but it's on the recall list. I just cannot wrap my brain around the concept of anyone riding rear facing in front of an active airbag.

no, surely there would be a switch like you said above. I imagine that putting the seat in rf mode would deactivate the airbag. That would make much more sense than trying to design the seat to withstand an airbag.

Melizerd · Jun 13, 2009

The Town and Country has seats that you can drive with in the rear facing position. Of course you can't put a carseat/booster there but an adult or older child could actually ride rear facing which would be safer.

mommy-medic · Jun 14, 2009

Melizerd said:
The Town and Country has seats that you can drive with in the rear facing position. Of course you can't put a carseat/booster there but an adult or older child could actually ride rear facing which would be safer.

That's what I was gonna say! Can you see the blinkies now.... "ask me why my 12 year old rides rear facing!" I would swivel my oldest child to be rear facing in the adult belt, leave the other vehicle seat forward facing for the rear facing baby seat of my toddler, and put my middle one HWH/EH forward facing. Too bad they don't allow even a booster for the RFing swivel seats- that would have been my ideal vehicle choice if that were the case.

Please help me answer this question about cars!

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