djnis

Leaving aside the undisputed fact that you should never put a rearward-facing child seat in front of an active airbag, the whole topic is enormously subjective and circumstantial. In a shunt, is your kid safer in the passenger seat of a S2000 or on the back seat of a Y reg supermini? At what age? And in what car seat? In the city or on the open road? I thought hard about the rights and wrongs but I did my research, weighed things up and decided to go for it on an occasional basis. My daughter loves it and I sleep well at night.

The law will not help settle any arguments as it is all over the place when it comes to child seats. I think it's bonkers that you can drive your toddler around all day, unrestrained, in the back of a minicab completely legally, but there you are.

Al_G

If the manufacturer (who spends millions on crash safety) deems it unsafe to carry a child then its good enough for me. Why would I purposely want to put my put my childs life at risk?

djnis

Having read the manual and considered all the information I could find on the subject I don't think it's that black and white. You perceive the risk to be higher than I do. Fair enough.

Al_G

Fair enough, I'm just not one for gambling with my childs life.

S2Bray

So sanctimonious! You do "gamble" with your child's life - probably every day - you just measure/assess risk differently to the guy above.

foyler

Thanks folks for the input, for & against, starting to develop into a' won't somebody think of the children' type discussion a la cycling helmet threads on another forum I frequent.
As above we face these decisions everyday and I'm likely a little more old school than some in my outlook.
Probably be safer in the Z where the seat is much further from the bag, but nowhere near as much fun and sure she'd be safer again in a Sherman tank with a rear facing nuclear bunker made of unobtanium .....

richmc

Or are we ignoring common sense, the law, and advice from the manufacturer?

Personally I'd only take a kid in my S2000, encased in a tub of concrete, in the boot......................................But then I don't like children.

Nottm_S2

i agree

given children come off worse in car accidents do you always take the bus then?

there's a thing called degrees of risk

i've never had an accident which inflated an airbag. I'm quite owd...

but i have been knocked off my bike twice. I still let my boy ride. I still take him on a plane on holiday..

Al_G

It looks that way unfortunately.

sanch3z

Interesting debate. In the market for an S as our second car, mostly for me but the wife might use it on occasion with either of our kids (more in an emergency). I have an eight and a four year old and whilst I wouldn't make a habit of taking them out I was considering it from time-to-time... I feel more comfortable with the eight year old as she can sit on a booster (is usually in a seat).

I believe the law states a child can ride in the front without an additional seat in an 'emergency'. Clearly an emergency is subjective... I personally put my eldest in the front in our 2014 Forrester which automatically disables the front air bag. I do this on journeys when her travel sickness is particularly bad. She is often sick with medicine and bands making no difference. Don't like it but not a lot of alternatives.