It’s the one place that no one ever (knowingly) wants to sit. Stuck smack dab in the middle like a human sandwich where there is no such thing as personal space. Even worse if you find that dreaded middle seat has a hump like a camel.talk about uncomfortable! But, as it turns out, the middle seat is statistically the safest seat in the car! Why is the middle seat safest? Simply stated, the middle seat is the furthest from impact during a collision, as well as the furthest away from air bags.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that all children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat, ideally in the center. The rear center seat is also recommended as the best place for kids’ car seats. In fact, the AAP found that children in the rear center seat have a 43 percent lower risk of injury than children in the rear window seats.
But, what if I have more than one child? Who goes in the middle then? Your favorite child. No, no, no, we are only kidding. The safest seating position for each occupant varies by a lot of factors, like age, weight, height, type of car seat, type of seat belt, etc.
When you have more than one child, it is typically recommended to place the child needing the most protection in the center. How do you determine that? Reach out to a local Child Passenger Safety Technician, They will be able to work with you and help provide education and recommendations for your particular needs, taking all passengers (front and rear) into account.
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Which car seat position is safest?
2. Placing the car seat in the wrong spot – The safest place for your child’s car seat is in the back seat, away from active air bags. If the car seat is placed in the front seat and the air bag inflates, it could hit the back of a rear-facing car seat — right where the child’s head is — and cause a serious or fatal injury.
- An air bag could also hit and harm a child riding in a forward-facing car seat.
- Vehicles that have only one row of seats, such as certain pickup trucks, should only be used if the air bag can be turned off with a key.
- If you’re placing only one car seat in the back seat, install it in the center of the seat — if a good fit is possible.
Placing the car seat in the center minimizes the risk of injury during a crash.
Should carseat be behind driver or passenger?
Install in the Backseat – The car seat should always be installed in the back seat. That is the safest spot for your baby. If you can, put the car seat in the center seat. If not, it is fine behind either the driver or passenger side. The important thing is that it is in the back, away from the airbags. Even in a minor crash, airbags can seriously injure your little one.
How do you survive a car crash in the backseat?
Last year, 4.5 million people suffered serious injuries from car crashes, which is roughly the population of Los Angeles. Vehicle safety features improve every year, but the number of injuries and deaths from car accidents aren’t dropping. Experts think that driving behavior is the problem.
Safe driving habits can prevent a lot of accidents, but what if you’re not the driver? How can you stay safe as a passenger? The good news is, knowing the correct way of sitting in a car can lower your odds of serious injury. Read on to learn what you can do to keep yourself safe. The Upright Position is the Safest Position for Sitting in a Car If you’ve flown on an airplane, you were probably shown how to brace for impact by covering your face with your arms and pressing your head against the seat in front of you.
That’s safe in airplanes, but not in vehicles. The safest position in a car is to sit upright, like you would in a chair. Sit with your feet flat on the floor with your back resting against as much of the seat as possible. Car companies design airbags and other safety features under the assumption that all passengers will sit in an upright position.
If you’re sitting with your legs crossed, feet on the dashboard, or laying down in the backseat, the airbags won’t protect you as well. Sit upright and you’ll have the least chance of getting an auto injury, Wear a Seatbelt and Adjust Your Headrest If you’re wondering how to survive a car crash, the only thing more important than sitting upright is wearing a seatbelt.
It will keep you secure and will lower your risk for serious injury. Headrests will also protect you during an accident. If they’re adjusted correctly, they can lower the effects of whiplash, a neck sprain that can cause headaches or dizziness. The top of the headrest should sit just below the top of your head.
- If you’re in an accident, the headrest will keep your head from whipping back and forth.
- The Rear Middle Seat is the Safest Seat Location The back seat is more protected from head-on crashes than the front seats.
- But, the back seats are still vulnerable to side crashes.
- That’s why the middle seat in the back is the safest spot, since it’s basically the center of the car.
But, this seat is only safe when the passenger is wearing a lap and shoulder seat belt. In fact, backseat passengers who don’t wear seatbelts are three times more likely to get killed in an accident. Without a seatbelt, the rear center passenger could get ejected through the car’s windshield.
- Already Injured? Visit a Chiropractor Today Sometimes car accidents are unavoidable, so it’s important to get in the habit of sitting in a car in the upright position whenever you ride in a vehicle.
- That way you’ll already be sitting in the safest possible position.
- Unfortunately, prevention only helps before the accident.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, we can help. We’re based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and we specialize in auto accident chiropractic treatment. Contact us today to make an appointment and we’ll help you start your road to recovery.
Where should I put my second car seat?
The left-side and the right-side of the back seat are both appropriate positions for the second car seat. Many people have opinions on which is the safest position, but highway safety reports show that there is no statistical difference in terms of safety.
Is it safe to sit cross legged in a car?
Highlights – • 35 occupant sitting postures, including torso, head, and extremity variations, studied in intersection car-car crashes. • Sitting cross legged can increase pelvic excursion and affect the whole body-responses in frontal impacts. • Torso leaning sideways affects occupant responses in side impacts.
What side of the car does a baby seat go on?
May 7, 2008 – The safest spot for a baby’s car seat is in the center of the back seat rather than on the sides, according to a new study. Although older passengers using seat belts can decide where they sit in a car, researchers point out that a child’s seat is determined by where the child-restraint system is installed.
For ease of access and keeping an eye on a baby, the most common spot for a baby’s car seat is the rear passenger side. But the study showed that children under age 3 seated in the center of the back seat had nearly half the risk of injury in motor vehicle crashes than children seated in either of the other positions.
“The center rear seating position is used less often by children restrained by a child-restraint system as they get older,” writes researcher Michael J. Kallan, MS, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and colleagues in Pediatrics, “Children seated in the center rear have a 43% lower risk of injury compared with children in a rear outboard position.” Researchers say current child restraint safety guidelines recommend the center position as long as a snug fit of the car seat can be achieved.
Is it safe to put a car seat in the middle?
Safest place for forward-facing car seat – If it’s the only car seat, the safest place to put a forward-facing car seat is on the center seat of the back seat. The same can be said for a rear-facing car seat as well. It’s statistically proven that the center seat is the safest place to put a car seat, Also, in a study investigating the survival rates of children in car seats involved in a fatal collision, the results showed that when placed in the center, children have a 13% increased chance of survival.
Should a forward-facing car seat be in the middle?
The Middle of the Back Seat is Safest A study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that the center spot in the back seat is 43% safer than the side.7 If you have more than one child and one is rear-facing, the forward-facing child should be in the middle since they are less protected.
Can a baby seat go in the middle?
Position 3: Middle Rear Seat – If the middle rear seat has a three-point (lap and diagonal) seat belt, this is the safest place to put a child restraint (unless the manufacturer’s instructions say one of the other seats is better) because it is the furthest away from the sides of the car.
