I think that it is generally agreed that the center of the 2nd row is the safest place in the vehicle for a carseat.

What is the 2nd safest position? Is it passenger side or driver side? and which child would benefit the most from being in the center, the smallest or the oldest?

Does anyone have statistics as to which side of the car is usually impacted in side-collisions?

Positions:
Passenger side:
-safer loading/unloading from the curb
-risk from an accident when you make a left hand turn

Driver side:
-risk from accident if a driver runs a red/stop sign

Age:
-if the older kid is in the center, they can probably climb in on their own to avoid the lift-reach problem
-but assuming the younger child is more at risk in any accident, they should have the center position.


J

Well... that's a tough question.
Of course the center is the safest. If you have to place 2 seats, I would definitely try to place the smaller child in the center. But what about when one child is sleeping and the other is awake, would they not be too close wherein one child will bother the other??? A stupid question but something to consider.
I would say that the driver side rear would be safer than passenger side just because of left hand turns but in that position, you would not be able to really keep an eye on the baby/child. If your baby drops his toy or sippy cup, you would have a harder time reaching behind the driver seat to fetch it.
Since the local fire department checks child seats for proper installation and safety, maybe you can stop by and ask them your question.

That is a really good question.

I would ask the Institute for Highway Safety (they do the crash tests for the insurance industry and are, imo, very reputable.)

I would be interested in the answer.

For what it's worth, I took my carseat to base two months ago to have it inspected by the certified "car-seat expert". She told me that since I was using the LATCH system I had to have the carseat on the driver or passenger side. Because you can't use one latch on each side to install the carseat. Does that make since? PM me if you want more info.

why does a military base have a childseat expert?

i put mine on the roof.

PaulSula, sorry I would PM you but I'd like to keep this conversation open for everyone to benefit from/contribute towards.

This is extremely interesting/worrisom for me! I have been using LATCH in the center section by using the innermost LATCH anchors. If those are ONLY for the outboard positions then I feel like a maroon for doing it wrong, and taking unnecessary risk. In reading the Toyota manual (which I will re-read tonight) I understood that all three seating positions could be used w/Latch. I may have read that wrong. As a side note, I'm making the same mistake in the Wife's Jetta.

What did they tell you at the base? Should we use the seatbelt in the center position?


J

I wouldn't worry, as that really won't help anything. I will definately look at my owners manual again tonight. Even though I have an 04, the 03 should be exactly the same. From what I understand if using the latch system, there are two sets of two anchors. One behind the driver seat and one behind the passenger seat. For the LATCH system to work best you have to use the both anchors on one side, not one from each. Now remember I am only passing this information along from someone who has been sent to "childseat school". So this is coming to you second hand.

Oh BTW, T?@\7, I am only using the LATCH system till the baby is old enough to use the yakima rack mounted system.

For what it's worth, I use the LATCH system with the seat in the center in a 2002 Passat 4motion. Works great. I get a good tight fit. That is what is important.

While I agree that a tight fit is very important, I would not say that it is all that matters. Car manufacturers make things a certain way for a reason, although unknown for me, I am sure there is a reason why Toyota decided to make the LATCH system only behind passenger and driver seats.

I agree. Mine is ultra tight, but if LATCH isn't recommended in the center, then something else is going on.

I might have to try to do the belt...or both?



J

What puzzles me is on my SR5 (has the 3rd row seating option) the second row latch is behind the pass. side BUT the other is not behind the driver side. The final mounting latch location on the left is, believe it or not, in between where the center pass. and left pass. position would sit in the second row. Wtf?!?

Furthermore, if the recommended latch location is directly behind the driver and front pass. then what the heck is the latch anchor behind the 2nd row CENTER passenger for?!

I think I figured what else is going on...

I was installing a new carseat in my wife's GX and looked at the anchor locations for LATCH install on both trucks.

The reason for positioning the 2 LATCH anchor sets - one behind the driver's seat (but a little closer to the center) and one directly behind passenger's seat - is to allow the unused rear seat to be folded. The 60/40 split fold-down second-row bench seat can be utilized if the carseat is latched to the appropriate anchors.

If the carseat is latched to 2 "inner" anchors it will cover the "split" of the rear bench.

Just my 2 cents

I agree with above. I doubt that the current recommendations has anything to do with the LATCH system itself. The loops are independent of each other...therefore, the LATCH system itself does not know how you hook things up with the baby seat.

Long time ago, i heard that the center position was not recommended simply because most accidents are in the front. Thus, broken glass from the windshield can fly back and hit the baby. If the baby was on either side, then the front seats would block broken glass from flying back.

For me though, i fear the side crash and this is why i prefer the center position. But i am sure that the side positions are fine too, esp. on vehicles with side curtain airbags because the side curtains block a lot of flying broken glass on a side crash.

Of course, the baby seat nowadays are tough as hell...and would probably keep its shape on a side crash (if it was latch on the either side of center). I remember when i was in residency, there was a big car crash. Apparently, it was a bad enough crash that the baby seat got tossed out the window during the flipover. The police later found the baby seat in a bush on the side of the highway due to hearing the baby crying. The seat was still in decent shape...baby completely healthy.

So, i don't know what the safest position is. However, i would still go with center as my first choice and the sides as my 2nd. On my Corolla (yes side curtain airbags), the baby seat is in the center, as is the case in my G500 (no side curtains). On my Sienna, i have it behind driver's side. (Because i am anal, i use both the seat belts AND LATCH.)

link to CHP publications about child saftey and laws check this out.. its for california... should be pretty good info, they're strict.

That link is to regs several years old.

While individual states have separate regulations, the standard I heard is a child must be secured in a approved child restraint until at least 8 years old and 80 lbs.