Don't want to put kids in 3rd row of 7 Seater, so what about the Multimac?

babybimbles

Sorry for such a long title but i'm very concerned at the moment. My father has just bought me a VW Sharan on my behalf and I now think the proper third row seats are better than the flimsy flip up ones other cars have. But the distance between the seats and the back is still too small to make me feel comfortable in putting any of my kids there. I'll have four children under 8 by July and doubt we will need to put them in the third row often, maybe once a week. However, I've just seen a video of a lorry crashing into the back of a Zafira and i'm now thinking a Honda FRV or Fiat Multipla might be a better choice having an extra seat in the front. Alternatively the four seater car seat from multimac. Does anyone know much about this? Link here.

mikey72

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX2JYTpBUdw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NEFI4kMXmM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCE0CBgZ6QE
wouldn't like to be in the back seat of a small car either.
(Watch the 2CV, and the other car I don't recognise, but they both vanish)

Rolandtheroadie

Watched a couple of youtube videos there. Truck beats car, train beats truck. Whats the odds of either?
Any time a truck comes into contact with a car there is only going to be 1 winner.

I've seen pictures of planes crashing. I still fly.

Have you seen how many people get killed or injured crossing the road?

So far as the link to the car seat goes, will it take the car chairs/booster seats? If you have a car insured for driver plus 4 passengers, could this seat not invalidate your insurance.

gilbert_and_sullivan

If you really want a substantial vehicle to carry your children, and i don't for one minute blame you with the numpties out there.

Buy a Toyota Landcruiser, preferably the Amazon...outhouse and brick.

vikingaero

My sister had an accident in her BMW. A HGV crashed into the rear of her car. The boot and rear passenger structure was compressed against her seat back. Anyone in the rear would have been dead. There was more crumple structure in her BMW than most superminis and Golf/Focus sized cars.

I'm fairly sure that in the Zafira/truck video it shows the dummy as either unbelted ot the head suffers severe whiplash because the head restraints haven't been raised correctly.

If the OP is concerned about the children then could one child go in the front passenger seat?

mikey72

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

If you really want a substantial vehicle to carry your children, and i don't for one minute blame you with the numpties out there.

Buy a Toyota Landcruiser, preferably the Amazon...outhouse and brick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhiTr6e6WHw
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB_pCmKJr_Y&feature=related&pos=1

vikingaero

Looking at the Multimac site, it all seems very good, crash testing and all that. They don't seem to talk about side impact crash testing. There's an awful lot of little bodies squeezed close together with no room for them to go anywhere in a side impact.

babybimbles

Thanks for all your replies.

Air travel is safer than road travel. I feel very responsible for my children's safety (as any normal parent) and it disturbs me to think they are at potential risk during a day trip on the motorway which is probably one of the few times any of my kids will be sitting in the rear most seats.

Hubby and I are discussing the Honda FRV six seater over the Multimac system. I'd like to hear some more points of view if anyone cares to share. It's such a difficult choice to make!

Rolandtheroadie

Looking at my post again, perhaps I seemed a bit of an idiot.
Our kids safety is paramount (we have 4) and looked at most 6/7 seaters avaliable.
I was trying to make the point that we can take precautions, but to ensure our kids are safe 24/7 is something else.
Our eldest 2 sit in the back seat (3 seater). Its a Grand Voyager, theres about 24 inches between that seat and the back of the car (its also got a towbar that might help slightly in a rear collision).
The middle seats are substantial pilots seats. Approx 6 inches between the seat and the door. Our twins sit here in their car seats.

Just to say again, I'd discount the Multimac system because if you have a 5 seater car and convert it to 6, I think your insurance could either be void (definately unless you tell them) or increased.

JoolzS

If you really want to keep your kids safe - don't drive them anywhere, ever!

If you want to be sensible - take the offer of the car and drive as carefully and be as aware as you can.

There isn't a car on the market that can take an HGV running into the back of it and there never will be. HGVs tend to weight around 40 tonnes!

I'm not dismissing your fears - just trying to put them into perspective. I drive a small car and I hate being on the motorway (I'd probably hate being on the motorway in a large car as well) - some driving is simply more dangerous than other driving.

You can't protect your children from everything, unless you keep them indoors for the rest of their lives and then you are injuring them by doing so!

Enjoy your life with your kids and let them enjoy theirs - don't get it tangled up in seatbelts and seat distances or whatever it is you are currently obsessed by.

Julie

goldspanners

JoolzS wrote: »

If you really want to keep your kids safe - don't drive them anywhere, ever!

If you want to be sensible - take the offer of the car and drive as carefully and be as aware as you can.

There isn't a car on the market that can take an HGV running into the back of it and there never will be. HGVs tend to weight around 40 tonnes!

I'm not dismissing your fears - just trying to put them into perspective. I drive a small car and I hate being on the motorway (I'd probably hate being on the motorway in a large car as well) - some driving is simply more dangerous than other driving.

You can't protect your children from everything, unless you keep them indoors for the rest of their lives and then you are injuring them by doing so!

Enjoy your life with your kids and let them enjoy theirs - don't get it tangled up in seatbelts and seat distances or whatever it is you are currently obsessed by.

Julie

i agree jules, when driving on any road you should be very aware of whats going on around you especially with kids on board, always try and keep some kind of escape route free for yourself, you keep a better distance from the car infront,keep an eye on whats going on behind and all around.
i would rather be in control of a situation on the road, than be in a situation in the sky with someone else being in control.