When I had my first kid I wasn’t aware of the safest place for an infant car seat.
Unfortunately, at that time information related to the infant car seats wasn’t as readily available as it is today.
Every parent rich or poor wants their babies to be as much safe as possible.
As a mother of 2 kids, I’m very conscious while I’m driving with my kids in the car, I try to the best of my capabilities to drive as safely as I can.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen not only because of you but also the other drivers present on the road, and we all know the fact that you don’t have control over others driving on the road.
In simple words, you don’t have any control over the other drivers making the mistake so the best thing that you can do is to secure your baby to the best of your capabilities.
Correct me, if I’m wrong.
It goes without saying that preparing and choosing the safest place for a car seat in your vehicle will definitely make a difference in case an accident does happen.
To be honest, the safest place for an infant car seat is usually in the back seat, right in the middle.
What actually it does is, keep your kid as far away from any potential impact locations as possible in case of an accident.
On the other hand, any seat in the back of the vehicle is safe in case of the unavailability of a middle car seat in your vehicle.
Two important things that influence the safest place for an infant car seat are the types of the car seat and the type of vehicle you drive.
Let’s dive deep into the discussion so that you can make an informed decision.
Can a car seat type influence the safest place for an infant car seat?
Well, choosing the safest place for an infant car seat depends to some extent on the type of car seat you use.
Not only that but also it depends on the age and number of children that you’ve.
Let’s understand it with an example.
When choosing between an infant car seat and a booster seat, you need to understand that the infant car seat should be middle and the booster car seat on the side.
Safest Place For Baby Car Seats
Well, the safest place for a baby car seat is the back seat of the vehicle.
Of course, the middle seat is the safest of all the back seats.
But, at the same time, you also need to understand that all spots in the back seat of your vehicle are safer as compared to an infant car seat in front.
In other words, this adds an additional extra protection for your baby while driving.
I wouldn’t deny the fact that the absolute safest spot for an infant car seat is the middle back seat.
I’m not saying you to trust my words, in fact as per the study published in Pediatrics, newly born to 3 years old were found 43 percent safer when they were asked to sit in the center rear seat as compared to sitting on either side.
Most importantly, it is quite different from what most parents choose.
In one of the studies, it was found that 41 percent of the parents choose to put the infant car seat on the rear passenger side of the vehicle which is less safe as compared to the middle seat for sure.
Though putting the infant car seat on the rear passenger seat of the vehicle has its own benefits such as easy for the driver to keep track of the baby, easier to get the kid in and out, etc. still on the safety front, I would say it’s NOT THE BEST CHOICE, indeed.
I always suggest my clients keep their infants in the center seat at least till they are three years old.
Safest Place For Booster Car Seats
Without any doubt or second thought, I can affirm that the safest place for a booster car seat is also the center rear seat.
I know very well that your child is bigger at this stage still, you can’t negate the danger caused by collisions and airbags in the front compared to the back seat, this is not my statement but is stated by none other than the website cdc.gov.
So, what to do if one of your children is in a booster seat and the other one is in the infant seat?
Any guesses?
Put the infant seat in the middle of the rear seat and the booster seat in the sides of the rear seat, and try to avoid putting anyone of the two in the front seat.
In layman’s terms, any rear seat is safer than putting your infant in the front seat.
Also, you need to ensure that your kid is properly restrained in a seat belt in order to avoid any last-hour misadventure.
Remember, the seat belt must fit snuggly across the lap of your child and of course, not their stomach, with the shoulder belt going across the chest without going under the arm.
Safest Place For Convertible Car Seats
Like the aforementioned car seats, the safest place for a convertible car seat is also the rear seat.
As a responsible parent, it is solely your responsibility to ensure that your kid remains in the back seat till the age of 13 if at all possible, and the same has been said by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
There isn’t much-differentiating factor between your infant car seat and a convertible car seat.
Kids up to 6 years of age can use a convertible car seat.
Again, it depends upon the manufacturer of the seat.
Time and again, we’ve emphasized that the center rear seat is the safest place for your baby so try to place the convertible car seat there only if POSSIBLE.
This will ensure that your baby is safe even in the event of a side collision.
Can a car type influence the safest place for an infant car seat?
Definitely, the type of car you choose has some influence on the safest place for an infant car seat.
We’ll take some examples to make it clear for you.
Safest Place for Car Seat in a Minivan
Well, the second row is definitely the safest place for an infant car seat in a minivan, and if you can place your baby in the center seat then nothing better than this for sure.
On the other hand, if the center row doesn’t have a center seat then you can place your infant on the outer seats as well.
Refrain from putting your infant in the third row even though it has a center seat in your Minivan.
By doing so, not only will you expose your kid to the liftgate but also put her at risk for rear-end collision.
In layman’s terms, the middle row is the safest place for your baby irrespective of the place she sits.
Safest Place for a Car Seat in an SUV
When it comes to SUVs the size of the vehicle plays a significant role in deciding the safest place for your kid.
If you own the newer version of SUVs which are slightly smaller in size then placing your baby in the third wouldn’t be a good idea as it is close to the back of the vehicle.
It doesn’t provide the much-needed protection for your baby while traveling.
Similarly, if you’ve got an SUV that is lower to the ground and doesn’t leave a lot of room between the second and the third row then definitely you shouldn’t place your baby in the third row as it may be a risky affair.
In such cases, the safest place for your baby is the second-row middle position.
However, thing changes drastically if you own a large-sized SUV because in such cases, the safest spot for your baby would be the middle spot of the third row.
These types of SUVs have lots of space between the third row and the back of the vehicle so any impact doesn’t do much damage.
And, the best part is, a spot in a back row puts your kid far away from the front seat where most of the accidents happen.
Safest Place for Car Seat in a Jeep Grand Cherokee
It’s really interesting to find out the safest place for the car seat in an adventurous vehicle like Jeep Grand Cherokee, isn’t it?
As expected the safest place for the car seat in a Jeep Grand Cherokee is the middle spot of the second row.
Most of the older variant of Cherokee possesses only two rows so the middle spot of the second row is the safest.
On the other hand, some newer Cherokee variants do come with three-row options but the problem is that they are too close to the back of the vehicle so the impact of collision could be huge on your kids if they are asked to sit in the third row.
Safest Place for Car Seat in a Ford Explorer
The safest place for a car seat in a Ford Explorer is the middle spot of the second row.
The Ford Explorer does have a third row but not a central seat exists, and the third row is very close to the back of the vehicle so placing your infant in the third row wouldn’t be a good idea.
The good thing about putting your baby in the center position of the second row is that they will be away from head-on crashes which are very common.
And, your kid would be away from rear-ending crashes which are the second most commonplace collision.
In layman’s terms, keep your baby in the middle spot of the second row as long as possible to be on the safer side.
FAQs
In this section, I will be responding to the queries related to the safest place for an infant car seat in order to help you make an informed decision.
Is It Safe to Put an Infant Seat Behind the Driver’s Seat?
It’s completely safe to place an infant seat behind the driver’s seat as long as the middle spot in the second row isn’t available.
Any seat in the second row is considered safe for your baby.
Can I Have the Car Seat on the Front?
You can place your infant car seat on the front but it wouldn’t be the safest place for your infant car seat.
Try to find any spot in the back row as they are safer than the front seat for sure.
Keep in mind, that a head-on collision can do maximum damage to your infant so choose the front seat only if all the back seats are taken.
Needless to say, head-on collisions are the most common type of accident.
If you’re placing the infant car seat in the front seat then try to keep it in the center and also, turn off all airbags to add extra protection.
It’s A Wrap
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.
Secondly, I would like to bring to your notice that I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort into coming up with this idiosyncratic piece of information.
And, in case, you liked our efforts and want to appreciate us then please do share the information with like-minded people and the ones who are in need of it.
After all, sharing is caring, isn’t it?
To cut a long story short, the safest place for an infant car seat is the middle spot of the second row in most car types.
The middle spot of the second row is the least impacted place in a car accident irrespective of whether it is a head-on collision or rear-end.
Not only that but also your infant has protection even in the case of a side-on collision.
However, in some cases such as larger SUVs, you can consider keeping the infant car seat in the third row.
That’s all, as of now:)
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