baby seat in a 350z?
03-28-2003, 08:45 AM
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baby seat in a 350z?
Is that a stupid idea or is it okay as long as you turn the air bags off?? I don't have kids but I always thought they go in the back seat until they are much older.
My wife is concerned that while I am at home with baby (wife is pregnant now) I will not be able to go anywhere, especially in an emergency.
My wife is concerned that while I am at home with baby (wife is pregnant now) I will not be able to go anywhere, especially in an emergency.
03-28-2003, 08:53 AM
#2
I thought I remembered there was hooks to put a child seat into the car.
personally I think the Z is a bit wild to routinly transport a baby in, but it can do the job in an emergency. you would definitly want to get the air bag disabler tho, its not standard, but it can be added by the dealer.
personally I think the Z is a bit wild to routinly transport a baby in, but it can do the job in an emergency. you would definitly want to get the air bag disabler tho, its not standard, but it can be added by the dealer.
03-28-2003, 06:13 PM
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after further reading, I think you shouldn't put a baby seat in the car in the backwards position, which is the position the seat needs to be up to a certain age. So I am assuming the hooks are for strapping it in facing forward only.
03-28-2003, 07:33 PM
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There is a tether anchor on the floor in the hatch area for use with a child restraint seat. There were some good threads about this subject a while back...I'll repost some research I did on the topic:
This is something I have been looking into recently as well, since my girlfriend has a four and a half year old daughter whom I would like to be able to drive with in a pinch. I bought a restraint seat, and am in the process of (possibly) applying for an authorization for the on/off switch. It is required for any appicants to read an information booklet (http://www.nhtsa.com/airbags/brochure/) before applying for these devices. I found the booklet enlightening, and now am having doubts as to whether or not the switch is preferable in my situation. It is not mandatory to have it installed, simply recommended in certain instances. The booklet tiptoes around this fact, and never states outright whether or not you should have it installed for children over four...it simply presents the facts and statistics and leaves the decision up to you. I actually found this stance by the gov't pretty surprising, as they seldom leave decisions on these things up to individuals. I will copy some quotes from the booklet below (note: any emphasis is already present in the document, not added by me):
"Most air bag injuries are minor cuts, bruises, or abrasions and are far less serious than the skull fractures and brain injuries that air bags prevent. However, 87 people have been killed by air bags as of November 1, 1997. These deaths are tragic, but rare events -- there have been about 1,800,000 air bag deployments as of that same date. The one fact that is common to all who died is NOT their height, weight, sex, or age. Rather, it is the fact that they were too close to the air bag when it started to deploy."
**********
"Almost all of the 49 children who died were improperly restrained or positioned. 12 were infants under age 1 who were riding in rear-facing infant seats in front of the passenger air bag. When placed in the front seat, a rear-facing infant seat places an infant's head within a very few inches of the passenger air bag. In this position, an infant is almost certain to be injured if the air bag deploys. Rear-facing infant seats must ALWAYS be placed in the back seat. The other 37 children ranged in age from 1 to 9 years; most were 7 or under. Twenty nine of them were totally unrestrained. This includes 4 children who were sitting on the laps of other occupants. The remaining 8 children included some who were riding with their shoulder belts behind them and some who were wearing lap and shoulder belts, but who also should have been in booster seats because of their small size and weight. Booster seat use could have improved shoulder belt fit and performance. These various factors allowed the 37 children to get too close to the air bag when it began to inflate."
**********
"How do I best protect children? Never place a rear-facing infant seat in the front seat if the air bag is turned on. Always secure a rear-facing seat in the back seat. Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. While almost all of the children killed by an air bag were 7 years old or younger, a few older children have been killed. Accordingly, age 12 is recommended to provide a margin of safety. There are instances when children must sit in the front, because the vehicle has no rear seat, there are too many children for all to ride in back, or a child has a medical condition that requires monitoring. If children must sit in the front seat, they should use the seat belts and/or child restraint appropriate for their weight or size (see the table at the end of this brochure) and sit against the back of the vehicle seat. The vehicle seat should be moved as far back from the air bag as practical. Make sure the child's shoulder belt stays on. If adult seat belts do not fit properly, use a booster seat. Also, children must never ride on the laps of others."
**********
"C A U T I O N : If you allow children to ride in the front seat while unrestrained or improperly restrained, and especially if you sit with a child on your lap, you are putting them at serious risk, with or without an air bag. Turning off the air bag is not the safe answer. It would eliminate air bag risk but not the likelihood that in a crash an unrestrained child would fly through the air and strike the dashboard or windshield, or be crushed by your body."
**********
"Two risk groups have a high enough risk that they would definitely be better off with an on-off switch:
Infants in rear-facing infant seats.
Drivers or passengers with unusual medical conditions.
Two other risk groups may be better off with an air bag on-off switch:
Children ages 1 to 12.
Drivers who cannot get back 10 inches."
Here is a quote from the document "Procedure for getting an on/off switch":
"NHTSA is also undertaking a campaign in conjunction with safety groups, vehicle manufacturers and state and local authorities to promote increased use of all types of occupants restraints. NHTSA is urging motorists to use child restraints and seat belts and place children in the back seat, whenever possible, as well as spreading the word about the benefits of air bags for most people. Proper use of the restraint(s) most appropriate to the weight and age of each child fatally injured to date by air bags would have saved all or almost all of them. While increasing numbers of parents are placing their children in the back seat or ensuring that they are properly secured in the front seat, much consumer education work remains to be done.
Disturbingly, most of the fatally-injured children were allowed to ride in the front without any type of restraint whatsoever. And, as of July 15, 1997, five out of the last seven fatally injured children aged 1 to 12 were simply "held in place" on the lap of a front seat passenger. There were no similar fatalities before December 1996. It is not known whether the sudden appearance of fatalities under these particular circumstances is mere chance or a response to the publicity given child air bag fatalities last fall. It is known that the combined effects of the risk of an air bag to an unrestrained child, and the weight that an adult places on a child during a frontal crash can make the decision to attempt to hold a child in place a fatal one. Children should ride fully restrained, and in the back seat whenever possible."
This is something I have been looking into recently as well, since my girlfriend has a four and a half year old daughter whom I would like to be able to drive with in a pinch. I bought a restraint seat, and am in the process of (possibly) applying for an authorization for the on/off switch. It is required for any appicants to read an information booklet (http://www.nhtsa.com/airbags/brochure/) before applying for these devices. I found the booklet enlightening, and now am having doubts as to whether or not the switch is preferable in my situation. It is not mandatory to have it installed, simply recommended in certain instances. The booklet tiptoes around this fact, and never states outright whether or not you should have it installed for children over four...it simply presents the facts and statistics and leaves the decision up to you. I actually found this stance by the gov't pretty surprising, as they seldom leave decisions on these things up to individuals. I will copy some quotes from the booklet below (note: any emphasis is already present in the document, not added by me):
"Most air bag injuries are minor cuts, bruises, or abrasions and are far less serious than the skull fractures and brain injuries that air bags prevent. However, 87 people have been killed by air bags as of November 1, 1997. These deaths are tragic, but rare events -- there have been about 1,800,000 air bag deployments as of that same date. The one fact that is common to all who died is NOT their height, weight, sex, or age. Rather, it is the fact that they were too close to the air bag when it started to deploy."
**********
"Almost all of the 49 children who died were improperly restrained or positioned. 12 were infants under age 1 who were riding in rear-facing infant seats in front of the passenger air bag. When placed in the front seat, a rear-facing infant seat places an infant's head within a very few inches of the passenger air bag. In this position, an infant is almost certain to be injured if the air bag deploys. Rear-facing infant seats must ALWAYS be placed in the back seat. The other 37 children ranged in age from 1 to 9 years; most were 7 or under. Twenty nine of them were totally unrestrained. This includes 4 children who were sitting on the laps of other occupants. The remaining 8 children included some who were riding with their shoulder belts behind them and some who were wearing lap and shoulder belts, but who also should have been in booster seats because of their small size and weight. Booster seat use could have improved shoulder belt fit and performance. These various factors allowed the 37 children to get too close to the air bag when it began to inflate."
**********
"How do I best protect children? Never place a rear-facing infant seat in the front seat if the air bag is turned on. Always secure a rear-facing seat in the back seat. Children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. While almost all of the children killed by an air bag were 7 years old or younger, a few older children have been killed. Accordingly, age 12 is recommended to provide a margin of safety. There are instances when children must sit in the front, because the vehicle has no rear seat, there are too many children for all to ride in back, or a child has a medical condition that requires monitoring. If children must sit in the front seat, they should use the seat belts and/or child restraint appropriate for their weight or size (see the table at the end of this brochure) and sit against the back of the vehicle seat. The vehicle seat should be moved as far back from the air bag as practical. Make sure the child's shoulder belt stays on. If adult seat belts do not fit properly, use a booster seat. Also, children must never ride on the laps of others."
**********
"C A U T I O N : If you allow children to ride in the front seat while unrestrained or improperly restrained, and especially if you sit with a child on your lap, you are putting them at serious risk, with or without an air bag. Turning off the air bag is not the safe answer. It would eliminate air bag risk but not the likelihood that in a crash an unrestrained child would fly through the air and strike the dashboard or windshield, or be crushed by your body."
**********
"Two risk groups have a high enough risk that they would definitely be better off with an on-off switch:
Infants in rear-facing infant seats.
Drivers or passengers with unusual medical conditions.
Two other risk groups may be better off with an air bag on-off switch:
Children ages 1 to 12.
Drivers who cannot get back 10 inches."
Here is a quote from the document "Procedure for getting an on/off switch":
"NHTSA is also undertaking a campaign in conjunction with safety groups, vehicle manufacturers and state and local authorities to promote increased use of all types of occupants restraints. NHTSA is urging motorists to use child restraints and seat belts and place children in the back seat, whenever possible, as well as spreading the word about the benefits of air bags for most people. Proper use of the restraint(s) most appropriate to the weight and age of each child fatally injured to date by air bags would have saved all or almost all of them. While increasing numbers of parents are placing their children in the back seat or ensuring that they are properly secured in the front seat, much consumer education work remains to be done.
Disturbingly, most of the fatally-injured children were allowed to ride in the front without any type of restraint whatsoever. And, as of July 15, 1997, five out of the last seven fatally injured children aged 1 to 12 were simply "held in place" on the lap of a front seat passenger. There were no similar fatalities before December 1996. It is not known whether the sudden appearance of fatalities under these particular circumstances is mere chance or a response to the publicity given child air bag fatalities last fall. It is known that the combined effects of the risk of an air bag to an unrestrained child, and the weight that an adult places on a child during a frontal crash can make the decision to attempt to hold a child in place a fatal one. Children should ride fully restrained, and in the back seat whenever possible."
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03-28-2003, 07:38 PM
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MikesZ,
I believe it is law in most states that newborns and infants must ride in rear-facing child restraint seats, in which case you MUST have an airbag on/off switch installed. Once they become older and able to ride in a forward facing seat, the choice of whether it is beneficial is up to you. I would read up on the subject at the web site in my previous post.
As others have stated, the Z is not the ideal car for transporting children...but in a pinch or emergency there is no reason that you can't if the proper precautions are taken.
I believe it is law in most states that newborns and infants must ride in rear-facing child restraint seats, in which case you MUST have an airbag on/off switch installed. Once they become older and able to ride in a forward facing seat, the choice of whether it is beneficial is up to you. I would read up on the subject at the web site in my previous post.
As others have stated, the Z is not the ideal car for transporting children...but in a pinch or emergency there is no reason that you can't if the proper precautions are taken.
03-29-2003, 08:06 AM
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Greetings...
MOST NISSAN DEALERS WILL NOT INSTALL THE SWITCH! They fail to tell you this... or I guess they imply that they will.. but they wont. Becuase of liability. I had jumped through all the hoops with the Govt and Nissan. Got the OK from the NHSTA and applied for the switch with Nissan, which is $450.00 plus the harness which is about $200.00
Two dealers in my state will install it for $1000.00 ... the others wont even touch it.
I went to sensible solutions, they installed one, but I am having problems with my light coming on. They swear it is the part and they will put in a new one, but I am pissed becuase it is costing my $65.00 each time to reset the light. I would hold on a couple weeks and see if I get my problem resolved.... They charge $350.00 total. They come to your home or work nationwide.
MOST NISSAN DEALERS WILL NOT INSTALL THE SWITCH! They fail to tell you this... or I guess they imply that they will.. but they wont. Becuase of liability. I had jumped through all the hoops with the Govt and Nissan. Got the OK from the NHSTA and applied for the switch with Nissan, which is $450.00 plus the harness which is about $200.00
Two dealers in my state will install it for $1000.00 ... the others wont even touch it.
I went to sensible solutions, they installed one, but I am having problems with my light coming on. They swear it is the part and they will put in a new one, but I am pissed becuase it is costing my $65.00 each time to reset the light. I would hold on a couple weeks and see if I get my problem resolved.... They charge $350.00 total. They come to your home or work nationwide.
04-01-2003, 09:40 AM
#10
My wife and I have decided not to install the on/off switch. Info available from here (http://www.nhtsa.com/airbags/brochure/) as well as the Q4 results from last year even (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd...Tab/CRFCSS.htm) demonstrate that a correctly restrained child in a booster seat is in little or no danger from the airbag. This last link is a very sad link because it is likely that almost all of those injuries would have been avoided if they WERE WEARING ANY BELT AT ALL.
At any rate, thought I'd share some of that info.
At any rate, thought I'd share some of that info.
04-01-2003, 10:37 AM
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Originally posted by socalsoda
Greetings...
MOST NISSAN DEALERS WILL NOT INSTALL THE SWITCH! They fail to tell you this... or I guess they imply that they will.. but they wont. Becuase of liability. I had jumped through all the hoops with the Govt and Nissan. Got the OK from the NHSTA and applied for the switch with Nissan, which is $450.00 plus the harness which is about $200.00
Two dealers in my state will install it for $1000.00 ... the others wont even touch it.
I went to sensible solutions, they installed one, but I am having problems with my light coming on. They swear it is the part and they will put in a new one, but I am pissed becuase it is costing my $65.00 each time to reset the light. I would hold on a couple weeks and see if I get my problem resolved.... They charge $350.00 total. They come to your home or work nationwide.
Greetings...
MOST NISSAN DEALERS WILL NOT INSTALL THE SWITCH! They fail to tell you this... or I guess they imply that they will.. but they wont. Becuase of liability. I had jumped through all the hoops with the Govt and Nissan. Got the OK from the NHSTA and applied for the switch with Nissan, which is $450.00 plus the harness which is about $200.00
Two dealers in my state will install it for $1000.00 ... the others wont even touch it.
I went to sensible solutions, they installed one, but I am having problems with my light coming on. They swear it is the part and they will put in a new one, but I am pissed becuase it is costing my $65.00 each time to reset the light. I would hold on a couple weeks and see if I get my problem resolved.... They charge $350.00 total. They come to your home or work nationwide.
Not really nationwide. They don't have any installers in Oklahoma, according to the lady I talked to. I just got a call from her today saying my switch is in if I want to order it. I am second guessing it now, especially since hearing about the problems with the light. I have always thought that a lot of this concern is a bunch of bunk if the child is otherwise restrained properly. These seats go way back and my 4 year-old's face would be at least 2 1/2 feet from the dash while in his booster seat at the farthest position back. Further, since his torso isn't as long as an adult, even if he were bent forward from that position, his face isn't going to be as close as an adult's. My wife, however, has heard all of the media sensationalism hype about airbags that kill kids and is set on getting the switch. I actually think he would be safer with the airbag in a booster seat. What do I do now? I think I'll print some of this off and see if I can change her mind.
04-01-2003, 03:39 PM
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Yeah, I am in the same boat. I do have the switch, but the seat is so far back I dont know if it would matter. All the talk about decapatation and broken necks just put an image in my head that I didnt want.
In regards to my light... I have personally spoken with 4 other 350Z people who have had this company install the switch, and NONE of the other people had this problem with the light like I did.
I am starting to think it is the switch but I am not 100% there yet.
THE GOOD NEWS IS.... I ordered my manual, and spent my lunch hour reading it... I now have reset the light on my own... No dealer charge. If you change your mind let me know and I will send you the info... But it wouldnt hurt if you wanna wait and see if the new switch in mine fixes the problem or not.
In regards to my light... I have personally spoken with 4 other 350Z people who have had this company install the switch, and NONE of the other people had this problem with the light like I did.
I am starting to think it is the switch but I am not 100% there yet.
THE GOOD NEWS IS.... I ordered my manual, and spent my lunch hour reading it... I now have reset the light on my own... No dealer charge. If you change your mind let me know and I will send you the info... But it wouldnt hurt if you wanna wait and see if the new switch in mine fixes the problem or not.
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