3 yo in ffing harness on bus vs rf in car seat

christineka

New member
Is there something about a special ed bus that makes a 3 yo safer in a ffing harness than in a rfing car seat?

I'm really uncomfortable with the idea.
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yes, there's something. It's a bus. :) Buses are less likely to get in accidents. Buses are huge; if they do get in accidents with another vehicle the bus occupants often barely feel it. A 3 year old in a harness on a bus is umpteen gazillion times safer than a 3 year old in a forward-facing harness in a car-- and probably safer than a rear-facing 3 year old in a car. It's that safe. RF vs. FF on a bus is not a battle I would fight for a kid over 2 or maybe even over 18 months and the minimum weight to use the FF harness.

Also, using their harness makes things simpler, and therefore makes it more likely that the harness will be properly used. No installation of an unfamiliar car seat, no chance your installation will be moved, no buckling a kid into an unfamiliar car seat.

A 3 year old without a physical disability that makes FF unsafe period is absolutely safe in a FF harness on a bus. :)
 

Wiggles

New member
Perhaps this will help you feel more comfortable.

WARNING: Graphic pictures of accident after the link. It should be noted that no one was killed or seriously injured in the accident. Photos feature a Hummer vs. schoolbus accident where the Hummer rear-ended the bus at high speed. The Hummer is totalled. The bus is intact.

Remember, no one was killed or seriously injured (miraculously)

I think those photos show why your kids are pretty safe on a bus!
 

christineka

New member
Just to clarify, I'm comparing a 3 yo in a ffing harness on a bus to a 3 yo in a rfing car seat in my van. The bus is a small one. Both would be going to the same place.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Okay. The bus is still less likely to be in an accident in the first place, making it safer by miles. And it would still win against almost anything that hit it. Still safer.
 

southpawboston

New member
Just to clarify, I'm comparing a 3 yo in a ffing harness on a bus to a 3 yo in a rfing car seat in my van. The bus is a small one. Both would be going to the same place.

you need to define "small". are we talking about a 15-passenger van? or a real school bus, but shortened, like this:

totg-short-bus.jpg


passenger vans aren't particularly safe, but the short buses are quite safe.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Assuming it is a real bus, busses are eight times safer than cars. Rear-facing is five times safer than forward-facing between 12 and 24 months. I do believe that the benefits of rear-facing decrease as the child gets older, but even assuming he would be five times safer rear-facing than forward-facing in a car, he would be eight times safer in a bus than in a car, so bus wins.
 

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