Disable passenger-side airbags for infant car seat?

[mdarby]

I haven't seen this discussed here.

I am wondering if it is possible to selectively (or automatically) disable the front side airbags to allow an infant seat to be positioned there. The reason is that if my wife is driving alone with our infant and young son, and if the airbags will not deploy, it is arguably safer to have the infant in the front seat where (a) he will be calmer and (b) he can be monitored without looking away from the road into the back seat.

My Porsche Boxster had a car seat system which disengaged the airbag when it was locked into a specially added locking attachment. If the seat was not there or not locked in (e.g. with an adult passenger) the airbag would deploy.

Has anybody heard about this for the Prius? Does anybody have a similar concern?

[Tideland Prius]

Why not put it in the back seat?

If you have it in the front seat, buckle the seatbelt. If it's light enough, AIRBAG OFF will be lit.

[qbee42]

The Prius disables the front passenger airbag if an adult is not sitting in the seat. It uses a weight sensor to tell how heavy the passenger is, so an infant should not enable it. The status of the passenger airbag is clearly shown up under the windshield in front of the passenger seat.

That said, most experts recommend that infant car seats go in back.

Tom

[mdarby]

We would put the infant seat in the front because, absent the airbag deployment issue, it would be safer to have a happier baby which posed fewer distractions. I think on a 7-hour carride that would be more significant than the lost benefit having the front seat to help mitigate impact.

Is this a 100%-safe solution? Is there any risk that any of the passenger airbags could deploy? I would only want to do this if it were foolproof. Deploying airbags would change the logic above about net safety.

THANKS.

================



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ May 4 2006, 01:44 PM) [snapback]249814[/snapback]</div>

Why not put it in the back seat?

If you have it in the front seat, buckle the seatbelt. If it's light enough, AIRBAG OFF will be lit.
[/b]

[aaf709]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ May 4 2006, 11:47 AM) [snapback]249816[/snapback]</div>

The Prius disables the front passenger airbag if an adult is not sitting in the seat. It uses a weight sensor to tell how heavy the passenger is, so an infant should not enable it. The status of the passenger airbag is clearly shown up under the windshield in front of the passenger seat.

That said, most experts recommend that infant car seats go in back.

Tom
[/b]

Welllllll, that sensor is pretty sensitive. I had a lunch bag and some clothes give me the warning. I don't know what the weight is that sets it off or if it varies from Prius to Prius.

IIRC the manual recommends the child's seat in the back. I really don't know what's better as we don't have kids. If my wife is carrying one of our cats, she sits in the back.

[efusco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mdarby @ May 4 2006, 01:48 PM) [snapback]249817[/snapback]</div>

We would put the infant seat in the front because, absent the airbag deployment issue, it would be safer to have a happier baby which posed fewer distractions. I think on a 7-hour carride that would be more significant than the lost benefit having the front seat to help mitigate impact.

Is this a 100%-safe solution? Is there any risk that any of the passenger airbags could deploy? I would only want to do this if it were foolproof. Deploying airbags would change the logic above about net safety.

THANKS.

================




[/b]

1)The sensor is very sensitive and a properly secured infant seat will definately activate it.
2)Even if the sensor could be deactivated it is not safer despite the 'distractions/happy baby arguement' to have the child there. Center of the back seat is definately the safest place by far. He/she's protected from side impacts, front and rear impacts and even is safer in case of roll-over.
3)I'll argue that the baby will be more of a distraction in the front seat where mom has access. The inclination will be to try to feed, sooth, play with and talk to the child when he/she is so accessible thus distracting the driver from the primary job...driving.
4)Most infants do very very well in cars and fall asleep for the majority of a longish ride. For those times he/she needs to be fed, comforted, or just played with then time should be built into the trip to accomodate stops.

Finally, I'm not just talking theory. I'm the father of 3 and have had kids in my Prius for 2.5 years including my daughter who's almost 22 months old. I'm also an ER doctor and have seen first hand the consequences of distracted drivers and improperly restrained infants...it's not pretty.

Ask yourself...if someone plowed into the side of your car and killed that baby during this trip when he/she would have survived in the middle of the rear seat would the slight amount of convenience for your wife be worth it?

It isn't for my kids.


Oh yea, forgot one point...
5)it's illegal in all or most states.

[mdarby]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I am going to look into the law here in CA, but I appreciate your arguments about safety. I am actually trying to come to my own conclusions about this, and you make some compelling arguments.

But it sounds as if, whatever the potential merits / risks, you can't disable the sensor.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ May 4 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]249828[/snapback]</div>

1)The sensor is very sensitive and a properly secured infant seat will definately activate it.
2)Even if the sensor could be deactivated it is not safer despite the 'distractions/happy baby arguement' to have the child there. Center of the back seat is definately the safest place by far. He/she's protected from side impacts, front and rear impacts and even is safer in case of roll-over.
3)I'll argue that the baby will be more of a distraction in the front seat where mom has access. The inclination will be to try to feed, sooth, play with and talk to the child when he/she is so accessible thus distracting the driver from the primary job...driving.
4)Most infants do very very well in cars and fall asleep for the majority of a longish ride. For those times he/she needs to be fed, comforted, or just played with then time should be built into the trip to accomodate stops.

Finally, I'm not just talking theory. I'm the father of 3 and have had kids in my Prius for 2.5 years including my daughter who's almost 22 months old. I'm also an ER doctor and have seen first hand the consequences of distracted drivers and improperly restrained infants...it's not pretty.

Ask yourself...if someone plowed into the side of your car and killed that baby during this trip when he/she would have survived in the middle of the rear seat would the slight amount of convenience for your wife be worth it?

It isn't for my kids.
Oh yea, forgot one point...
5)it's illegal in all or most states.
[/b]

[DocVijay]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ May 4 2006, 03:17 PM) [snapback]249828[/snapback]</div>

1)The sensor is very sensitive and a properly secured infant seat will definately activate it.
2)Even if the sensor could be deactivated it is not safer despite the 'distractions/happy baby arguement' to have the child there. Center of the back seat is definately the safest place by far. He/she's protected from side impacts, front and rear impacts and even is safer in case of roll-over.
3)I'll argue that the baby will be more of a distraction in the front seat where mom has access. The inclination will be to try to feed, sooth, play with and talk to the child when he/she is so accessible thus distracting the driver from the primary job...driving.
4)Most infants do very very well in cars and fall asleep for the majority of a longish ride. For those times he/she needs to be fed, comforted, or just played with then time should be built into the trip to accomodate stops.

Finally, I'm not just talking theory. I'm the father of 3 and have had kids in my Prius for 2.5 years including my daughter who's almost 22 months old. I'm also an ER doctor and have seen first hand the consequences of distracted drivers and improperly restrained infants...it's not pretty.

Ask yourself...if someone plowed into the side of your car and killed that baby during this trip when he/she would have survived in the middle of the rear seat would the slight amount of convenience for your wife be worth it?

It isn't for my kids.
Oh yea, forgot one point...
5)it's illegal in all or most states.
[/b]

Same, father of 2 (soon 3). Kids ALWAYS in the back. Agree 100% with his post.

[galaxee]

my laptop bag sits on the passenger seat and is heavy enough to activate the sensor. and i'm guessing your baby was probably born heavier than my computer, so... i wouldn't chance it.

[yauman]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mdarby @ May 4 2006, 11:42 AM) [snapback]249811[/snapback]</div>

My Porsche Boxster had a car seat system which disengaged the airbag when it was locked into a specially added locking attachment. If the seat was not there or not locked in (e.g. with an adult passenger) the airbag would deploy.

[/b]

The reason you have that feature on your Boxster is that it's a 2-seater and therefore without the rear seat to put baby, the air bag must be turned off. Same is true for front-seat only pickup's.

The center of the rear seat of the Prius is the best place for the baby - and it's equipped with the LATCH system for all new baby seats to anchor properly and securely.