Jan06twinmom
New member
I'm still trying to figure out about what vehicle to purchase. One or the cars we like doesn't have latch or top tethers in the 3rd row seats. I can live without the latch, but I'm still wondering about the top tethers. We are looking at a new vehicle so there are shoulder belts and headrests in all positions. The vehicle was on the safety list I saw here for vehicles with the third row seating.
The third row would be for occasional use - mostly if we have family visiting and we want to go places together as a family. Since we keep cars for a long time, children could include newborns to teenagers over the course of the next 10 years. The rest of the time, my twins would be in the middle row with latch and tethers.
So who would be safe in the third row? Who would not be safe? (please tell me why they are not safe.) If anyone wants to rank these by safest to least/not safe, please do...
Infant in an infant seat
Infant rear-facing in a convertible seat
Toddler/preschooler in a rear-facing convertible seat (my DD is 3 1/2 years old and will probably stay rf for another 6 months to a year at her current rate of growth)
Child in a forward-facing 5pt harness car seat (Is there a difference if the child is in a Britax Decathlon/Marathon or Radian? I thought that I read the Radian has lower head excursion so it would be safer.)
Child (6 years or older) in a high back booster.
Child (8 year or older) in a low back booster.
Child who passes the 5 step test for the seat
Adult (who also passes the 5 step test)
The third row would be for occasional use - mostly if we have family visiting and we want to go places together as a family. Since we keep cars for a long time, children could include newborns to teenagers over the course of the next 10 years. The rest of the time, my twins would be in the middle row with latch and tethers.
So who would be safe in the third row? Who would not be safe? (please tell me why they are not safe.) If anyone wants to rank these by safest to least/not safe, please do...
Infant in an infant seat
Infant rear-facing in a convertible seat
Toddler/preschooler in a rear-facing convertible seat (my DD is 3 1/2 years old and will probably stay rf for another 6 months to a year at her current rate of growth)
Child in a forward-facing 5pt harness car seat (Is there a difference if the child is in a Britax Decathlon/Marathon or Radian? I thought that I read the Radian has lower head excursion so it would be safer.)
Child (6 years or older) in a high back booster.
Child (8 year or older) in a low back booster.
Child who passes the 5 step test for the seat
Adult (who also passes the 5 step test)