Vauxhall/Newer car drivers & Car seats ...

[polo_princess]

I found this out today and thought it might be of interest to you ... particularly if you drive a Vauxhall or a newer car ..

You cannot have a rear facing child seat in the front of a newer vauxhall ... Most Manufacturers allow the passenger airbag to be disengaged to enable you to put a rear facing car seat in the front of a car.

Vauxhall however have been very sneaky about this and the ONLY way to have your rear facing child seat in the front of your car is to buy a Vauxhall child seat with a sepcial transponder chip in it that will disengage the passenger airbag. How sneaky is that?

Might be worth checking your cars handbook before you go car seat hunting to see what is/what isnt possible to save you aggro in the future!!

 

[luvbunsazzle]

I made sure i checked up on this as OH is buying a new car, and the car he is going for is able to turn the airbags off

 

[leedsforever]

yeh we have a new vauxhall well 2004!!! And you cant turn off the airbags!!

So baby will have to go in back!! Didnt know that it is possible to put car seat in front though so at least there is that option!!!

But I agree very very sneaky the bloody swines!!!

I dont really like the idea of having my baby in the back whilst theres only me in the car and dont think I will use it an awful lot....!!! Ill prob get one of those mirrors to look in the back

 

[bex]

I have a 2 year old citroen and my OH has a 2 year old Audi and both cars you can switch off the passenger airbag.

 

[kiwimama]

Safest place for babies/ children is in the back seat of a car anyway. Rear facing carseats should never be put in the front seat of a car with airbags (front or side ones). NZ/ Aust safety standard carseats usually state this on the side of the carseat anyway, but not sure about the European standard.

 

[leedsforever]

Safest place for babies/ children is in the back seat of a car anyway. Rear facing carseats should never be put in the front seat of a car with airbags (front or side ones). NZ/ Aust safety standard carseats usually state this on the side of the carseat anyway, but not sure about the European standard.

yeah its the same in this country too..... thats why you have to turn off the airbags!!

But as I found out with my vauxhall and what PP was saying is that Vauxhall dont give you this option!! They expect you to buy there special car seat before car seat can go in front!!

 

[cuddles314]

I will have to look into whether I can turn off the airbag in mine, it's an 06 Fiesta. Not really happy about having bubs in the back, esp when I'm on my own with them in the car. Will buy one of those special mirrors, but I just know I'll still be panicking, and probably stopping the car every few minutes to get out, open the back doors and check on bubs! lol
xx

 

[cuddles314]

Although I've just read a couple of articles which say that even if the airbag is turned off, it's still safer to put the baby in the back of the car. Dunno what to do now.
xx

 

[leedsforever]

Although I've just read a couple of articles which say that even if the airbag is turned off, it's still safer to put the baby in the back of the car. Dunno what to do now.
xx

im like you really dont like the idea of having bubs in back with no one in the back with her!!! I just think Ill prob avoid using the car... I live in town so....!!

 

[lifeguard]

I actually thought it was illegal (in Canada only maybe) to have the carseat in the front if you have a backseat.

 

[reallytinyamy]

thde problem i have is getting the bloody thing in the back of my car- i only have 2 doors so i have to climb in to do it! i think i 'll be pinching marks car!!

as for vauxhall, i think thats very naughty of them, anything to make a bit of money!

 

[polo_princess]

I drive a 2 door VW and found i can only have my pass airbag turned off my taking it into the manufacturer, a lot of manfucaturers are quite good now and allow you to turn them off yourself.

Its not something im worried about putting them in the front, ive good pretty good knowledge of how airbag systems work and tbh would rather them in the front

 

[missjacey44]

Wow that is sneaky. Always trying to make more money!
We brought a brand new fiat punto this yr in Feb before we knew i was pregnant. If we knew i dont think we would have gone for that car as we can now only put bubs in the back and its also 3dr, the car seat gets in there ok but its abit annoying! I think my OH is looking at trading it in and getting a different car but he really doesnt want to!

 

[WelshGirl]

We have a 2005 Toyota, and we can switch our front passenger air bag off ourselves, by getting a special key from the garage (they give it you for free though, so that's not an issue).

It's perfectly legal to have bubs in the front with you, so long as the airbag is off. In my opinion, it's safer if you're in the car on your own, as you won't get distracted by trying to look at them in the back!

xxx

 

[nessajane]

I have the same problem i have a 3 door 2004 fiat punto and when we went to mothercare to see if the maxicosi fitted into the car we were then made aware you can not put carseat in the front if you have a airbag and even though we can get the seat out from the back it would be easier to have a 4 door or disable to airbag (if fiat do this).....decisions decisions.....

 

[enigma]

Well thank god i cant drive, this is the only time i can see this as an advantage, lol.
We have a tiny little vauxhall corsa, only y reg though, so may get away with that. But as i cant drive, i would probably be in the back with bubs anyway.
But having said that, we need to get a bigger car, 5 seat microscopic corse x 6 people family, just doesent add up, lol.

 

[leedsforever]

We have a 2005 Toyota, and we can switch our front passenger air bag off ourselves, by getting a special key from the garage (they give it you for free though, so that's not an issue).

It's perfectly legal to have bubs in the front with you, so long as the airbag is off. In my opinion, it's safer if you're in the car on your own, as you won't get distracted by trying to look at them in the back!

xxx

defo

a statistic I read yesterday .... 1 in 4 parents have been distracted whilst on the road due to baby being in back and nearly caused an accident!!!

 

[emma_27]

How crafty by vauxhall!!
I bought an 5dr 04 renault megane on Tuesday and checked it and we can turn off the front airbag but tbh i think ill still have her in the back with her brother. I dont let anything distract me when im driving i concentrate on the road only cus god forbid anything happening. Benn is in the back with her im sure he'll be keeping her company anyway lol.

 

[brownhairedmom]

Ohhh sneaky. I think it is illegal in Canada, I've never even seen anyone do this before.

But then again they just put in a new law here that kids under 80lbs have to be in a booster seat. We're getting strict on car safety

 

[lifeguard]

Ohhh sneaky. I think it is illegal in Canada, I've never even seen anyone do this before.

But then again they just put in a new law here that kids under 80lbs have to be in a booster seat. We're getting strict on car safety

Or ridiculous - depending on how you look at it - lol! The booster seat is my own personal pet peeve & I hate that they put it on the parents instead of requiring the car manufacturers to make adjustable seatbelts or built in boosters. They actually changed the law without any real statistics proving that boosters make any difference in deaths/major injuries.