New baby car seat position in back - drivers side or passenger side

RaiderHammer

Looking to fit the new baby car seat base in the back of the car but was wondering what side do most people go for, passenger side or drivers side. Will be travelling with my partner most of the time so leaning towards the drivers side. Any thoughts please? Thank you.

lika_86

Don't have a baby so this might be entirely wrong but might be worth thinking about whether you routinely park on a roadside, if so then I'd try and put it pavement side.

notanewuser

DD went behind me when in her first car seat - that way I could park to give that side of the car best access if no parent and child spaces. I could always go in through the other side if it wasn't the best place to get her out.

She went into an ISOFIX extended rear facing seat at 9 months. That went behind the driver's seat again because it was the 1/3 side of the back seat and I may have needed to fold the 2/3 portion down at any time.

I had a mirror on the headrest so that we could see each other in both scenarios.

ETA - if there were 2 of us in the car with her, somebody was always in the back with her. My in laws put their LOs in the back on their own with both of the adults in the front. Always seemed a bit mean to me.

mcja

I put mine on the passenger side. It meant I could see them at lights or pass things back if needed as they got older.

Dunners

Passenger side works best for us - means we can get baby out onto pavement most of the time and also give a quick glance when stopped in traffic!

graspandsave

I went for behind driver, ease of getting out (me and her) in tighter spaces when parent and child spaces all taken in supermarkets.

I had one of those mirrors so ~I could see her and she could see me, so didn't need to have her behind passenger seat.

Comes down to personal choice in the end.
worked for us behind driver, so went with it

mountainofdebt

just had a quickly google as I always thought being behind the driver was the safest position.

One page said that if it was possible and safe to do so then the centre was a good place as it was the furhtest position away from any side impact. .....not so sure about that though!

notanewuser

mountainofdebt wrote: »

just had a quickly google as I always thought being behind the driver was the safest position.

One page said that if it was possible and safe to do so then the centre was a good place as it was the furhtest position away from any side impact. .....not so sure about that though!

Not even slightly correct. The front seats offer protection. You should never put a child seat in the middle - if the seat detaches there's nothing to stop the child (plus seat) being thrown through the windscreen.

mountainofdebt

notanewuser wrote: »

Not even slightly correct. The front seats offer protection. You should never put a child seat in the middle - if the seat detaches there's nothing to stop the child (plus seat) being thrown through the windscreen.

looks like me & rospa (http://www.rospa.com/faqs/detail.aspx?faq=348) will have to disagree with you

The_Angry_Jock

mcja wrote: »

I put mine on the passenger side. It meant I could see them at lights or pass things back if needed as they got older.

That's exactly what I did, unless it's a long journey and the OH is with me ten I move it over behind the driver so she can do the passing back.

Hiddenidenity

I always put my first seat in the middle (although plenty of people disagreed with me!) A safely fitted seat would not come away from the seat and go through the window.. infact I dont think a carseat or mine anyway wouldnt fit between the two front seats :cool:

However now I have 2 Isofix seats in its one on either side.. soon to be 3 isofix seats :rotfl: