I just bought a car seat for the new baby (I am 37 weeks now ). I got the Graco Snugride, the same infant carrier I had before with Christopher. I was reading through the manual, and it says this:
"An adult should ride in the rear seat to watch the child. If the driver is the only adult present, a child may need to ride in the front seat. But only if there is no passenger air bag, and all of the other vehicle seat and seat belt requirements listed are met."

Ummm... I find this to be very strange. Do people really put their baby in the front seat if there isn't anyone to watch them in the back?? I thought babies were always supposed to go in the back?

By Cocoabutter on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 12:09 pm:

I always thought that the safest place for any child was in the center of the back seat.

By Mrsheidi on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 12:48 pm:

Woah...I think Trina is going to go into shock mode...that DOES sound really strange.

By Kate on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 12:57 pm:

In shock....did you somehow get a really old seat that was lost in the back storeroom for ages and ages?? I've never read those instructions and they are wrong, wrong, wrong, and super dangerous!!

I did use a mirror pinned on to the headrest facing the baby (the one attached to the seat the carseat was rear facing in) so I could keep an eye on them.

By Jelygu on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 08:24 pm:

Nope, not an old seat. The instruction manual is from 2006. I read and read the instructions, thinking maybe I was reading it wrong. But I'm not. I have certainly never seen those instructions in any of my other car seat manuals!

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 08:31 pm:

Yes, I'm in shock mode! I have never seen this in car seat instruction manuals, and you are correct in thinking it is unsafe to install car seats in the front, even without an air bag. I don't have time now, but I'll do some research.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, March 31, 2007 - 08:38 pm:

Wow. I always put my babies in the back seat and a lot of time I had no one else to sit and watch them! I would have never put them in the front and those were cars without airbags!

By Marcia on Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 08:35 pm:

I had Nicole in the front seat with me, facing backwards. She's 14 now, and that's the way it was done then. Oh, we didn't have airbags at that point.

By Mrsheidi on Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 09:02 pm:

I wonder if a news station can do some background work on this?

By Mommmie on Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 10:03 pm:

There was probably some litigation about a baby who was in the back, rear facing, and was choking or something and the mom in the front seat had no idea because she couldn't see the baby. As a result they add this warning to protect themselves from further lawsuits.

I also had my son in front with me - back then that was normal. I always thought it was strange to have your baby in the back rear facing. I'm glad I never had to do it.

By Cocoabutter on Sunday, April 1, 2007 - 10:06 pm:

Let us know what you come up with, Trina. I am dying to know!

By Trina~moderator on Monday, April 2, 2007 - 08:28 am:

OK, I read through the Graco Snugride instruction manual and did see the statement Jelygu posted above. However, it also does say several times NOT to install the car seat in the front seat with an airbag. Most vehicles on the road now have airbags. One message they made very, very clear in my CPS training was NEVER install a rear facing car seat in front of an airbag! I suspect Mommmie may be correct in thinking this statement was added to avoid law suits for the very small number of cases when putting a baby in the front seat (without an airbag) is necessary.

That said, even without airbags the back seat is significantly safer.

By Jelygu on Monday, April 2, 2007 - 09:26 am:

That makes sense that it was added to avoid lawsuits. I think a lot of new cars have the sensor that turns the airbag off if there isn't enough weight to activate it, but still. I think my baby will be happy and safe in the back seat!

By Trina~moderator on Monday, April 2, 2007 - 10:38 am:

Jelygu

The sensors can malfunction. In fact, I've read of it happening at least two times. *I* wouldn't trust them. I've seen videos of air bags deploying with a car seat installed in front of them. Certain death for the baby. As I mentioned earlier, even if a vehicle doesn't have airbags kids are much, much safer in the back seat.