Side airbags with baby.

I did a search and didnt find what I was looking for. So the wife and I are going to be have baby at the end of the month, and I want to make sure that the side airbags won't harm the baby. So does anyone know?

 

I would like to know as well. I've been driving around my son for a year and didn't even consider that they might be dangerous. I know it's as easy as pushing a button to disable it in my '09. When I asked the dealer why I would want to turn them off he said that if I'm offroading I don't want to smack a rock and have them engage. Should I or shouldn't I?

 

I would not set the car seat up next to side air bags. If you can you should put the seat in the middle of the back seat & Congrats

 

The curtain airbag extends from the front to back, so the middle of the rear seats is probably still the best choice.

 

+1

 

I put my kid in the middle back seat for a few years when she was a tyke.

 

Curtain airbags are OK for kids, assuming the kids are in their child seat. The curtain only goes down below the window when deployed, so it shouldn't come anywhere close to a child seat. It also doesn't have force behind it to hurt anyone.

Side airbags (the ones coming from the seat) can sometimes be problematic, but that's only if you are out of position - like sleeping on the door panel.

Of course, rear seat middle is the best place, but tough to reach in a truck!

 

I'd put the car seat in the middle back...it's safer in a side collision. Then you don't have to worry about the side curtains.

 

I really never considered the middle seat since I have always been instructed to put the car seat behind a front seat.

 

Me too. The car seat expert said some middle seat are not even for the car seat. Some vehicle has bump in the middle so that will make uneven rocky back on forth. I believe the side airbag would not hurt new born babies but I do not know about when it was 12 month old.

If you want to see expert, see this link:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/Index.cfm

More info on car seat with side airbag:
http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/carseat/airbags.php

 

x2. always put them in the middle.god for bid you get hit from the side.

 

Curtain airbags deploying would be the least of your problems if that happens, you'd probably be in a serious accident, God forbid. But like others have said, put the car seat in the middle of the rear seat.

 

We always had my son's seat in the middle and when we first had it installed by the local Police department that's where they recommended we install it. Our trucks are set up with the latch system to install the seat on either side or the middle with no problems.

 

Curtain Airbags will only deploy down to cover the window area, a car seat should be below the window threshold.

Side airbags in the front seat deploy on the side and to the front to protect the front driver / passenger from the window down to the seat.

It would only be an issue if the vehicle had rear door/side airbags. Even with those being installed they should only deploy with a max width of 4-5 inches which would barely or even might not touch the car seat if deployed since car seats don't sit right againts the door.

 

I'm pretty sure if you read your owners manual you'll find the answers you seek.

The front side airbags can be slightly dangerous to kids. The rear are only curtain airbags which will be over their head.

 

It should be fine. The curtains would be safer than the broken glass and metal at any rate. No matter what though, nothing is truly "safe" in that regard. I'd consult Toyota directly though, I think the manual even shows positions behind the seats where the latches are. I'd think it'd be safe to presume they did crash test data on child seats in the rear, put it where they recommend is the safest.

 

All good information here to consider. Thanks to everyone! I am a first time parent so just worried about everything that could happen.

 

Just get a current certified seat and cinch it in tight. You'll be lightyears ahead of what you had growing up. It wasn't that long ago when car seats were rare and just about no one would have considered putting a 4th grader in booster seat.

From a guy's perspective, typical kids less than three months old are pretty similar to a suitcase full of leaking jars and randomly set alarm clocks. The real enjoyment and real worrying don't start till after that.

 

lol


the local fire department can help you make sure you have your car seat in correctly.