Think Backwards – it’s safest that way
March 23, 2011 in Uncategorized
SAAB Sweden is right now focusing on child safety on its website. The main title Think Backwards – It’s safest that way is a clever way of promoting child seats faced backwards which have in most tests proven to be the safest way for a child to travel in a car.
How old is your child and how much does it weigh? These are the two questions you should ask yourself when choosing a child-seat. SAAB have three types of seats, 0+, 0-2, 2-3. SAAB recommends that a child rides in the car facing rearwards as long as possible, at least to the age of 4-5 years.
Personally I think this is a great thing for a car company to focus on and should be done a lot more as well. When reading through the drivers manual of my 9-5 I was surprised by how little I actually knew about these things even though I had walked through my local dealers shop far too many times =) I think SAAB should make a leaflet that covers all you need to know about child seats and deliver it with the car but also have it available at every dealer for anyone to take home…
Nicke said on March 23, 2011
Well, they are the future so they are very important!
Good Saab!! Im kind off proud to love the brand!
Daniel said on March 23, 2011
Has anybody successfully had a rear facing child of four in the back seat of a Saab (other than the 9-7x)?
T r o y said on March 23, 2011
There is a funny story about this. My wife and I had a 2006 9-3 Sportcombi, couldn’t fit the rear facing car seat in the back without having our driver’s or passenger seat most of the way forward. Myself being 6’4″ and my wife a shade under 6’1″ it was just a total disaster. Took it to our local Saab dealer, which is in the next state over about 3 hours, and they were pretty much no help at all. Actually ended up buying one of those 9-7x pieces of crap. Pretty much your run o’ the mill rebadged Chevy Trailblazer, what a simply horrible Saab. I would love to see a child much older than 2 years old stay rear facing in any Saab. I can’t wait for the new 9-4x, at least it has some Saab DNA in it…as for the 9-7x, I keep the windows rolled down and the key in the ignition just hoping that some other fool will just take it off our hands. 9-7x = Fail to the nth degree!
Daniel said on March 24, 2011
What was wrong with your 9-7x? I’ve had no issues for five years. Much better build quality than my previous Saabs. And more practical. Even in Sweden, car mags recommend it over the XC90.
Adam said on March 23, 2011
Yup, both of my kids have been rear facing in a 9000 until my daughter was just over 4 when we got a 9-5 and then she rode rear facing in our 9-5 until she was 5 1/2, my son is currently 4 and rides rear facing in the 9-5 too. I’ve also had them both rear facing in a GM900 although it felt a bit cramped up front for me so I wouldn’t have wanted to drive long distance but I could have maybe tweaked the position a bit but it was only for a day or two while we sorted the head gasket on the 9000.
ksmemo said on March 24, 2011
I have to admit, the recommendation of 4-5 years old for rear-facing is quite amusing if you own a 9-3. We have a Britax Marathon for the 9-3 SC, and it had to go in the middle of the back seat if we wanted to actually sit in front and drive the car. I am pretty short, and putting the marathon to either side was not feasible. It worked in the middle, but it pretty much made the remaining back seat space useless for passengers. We ended up getting a Britax Roundabout from a friend, which is smaller than the Marathon. It works behind my wife, but it is still cramped. We will switch back to the Marathon when we can go forward facing. Even if we wanted to keep a rear-facing seat until our daughter was 5, where would she put her feet? She is 1 right now, and she already kicks the seat.
The Britax is a European seat, and many Europeans have much smaller cars than the 9-3. My wife and I often wonder how Europeans can keep these big child seats rear-facing for so long in such small cars. Anybody have thoughts on this?
UA said on March 24, 2011
Well, I guess the age is a recommendation because the childs neck isn´t strong enough in relation to weight of its head. In case of an accident the head is thrown around with an incredible force. (see link) http://www.folksam.se/testergodarad/barnibil/1.74323
The length is as (or more) important.
If the head beginning to reach above the child-seat it´s time to change seat or position.
Take care!
/UA
hughw said on March 23, 2011
Interesting. In the States, it’s a “milestone” to be able to change your infant to front facing at 1 year old. Just yesterday, however, the New York Times published a major article reporting that the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises parents to leave their kid rear facing until 2 years old.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/health/policy/22carseat.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=child%20seat&st=cse
TimR said on March 23, 2011
Thats very interesting, that there is such a big difference in age between recommendations…
lala said on March 23, 2011
Since you’ve checked out saab sverige: there is also a bulletin saying that all new cars will be on display in nacka strand from April 8-10th. Free entrance. Might be (very) interesting for all swedish saab lovers in the area. Maybe even the Phoenix will be there…?
Örjan said on March 23, 2011
Daniel: My daughter turns 4 on June 1st and we have no problem with having here facing backwards in our 9-5 SC. And our 9 month old son is sitting in front of her.
Until last August we had a 9-3 SC and could sit in the middle of the back seat without any problem but I guess that depends on wich child seat you have. Ours
Örjan said on March 23, 2011
Hmm. I wasn’t done! Damn iphone
As I were saying. Our child seat is not so wide in the back so in the 9-3 it fitted between the front seats.
As to difference in age recommendations and so on. The height and weight of the child is irrelevant. The neck is not strong enough before 4 years no matter how big the child is,
Boris said on March 23, 2011
Hi!
Have anyone tried to fit your wife between two child seats on the back seat? Currently considering to replace Volvo xc70 by new Saab 9-5sc, is it any wider?
Adam said on March 23, 2011
I’ve had 3 adults in a 9000 with both kids rear facing and again with the 9-5. Rear facing seats are big and it was quite hard to get into the middle back seat (you had to climb in from the front!) but my partner managed it and she isn’t the slimmest around the thighs!
Ken H said on March 23, 2011
Nevertheless, Saab must do something with their own child seats…
Did anyone buy that thing?
jcs said on March 24, 2011
If Saab really wanted to do something about ‘backwards safety’ they would make backup cameras standard (or at least optional) in ALL of their vehicles. I drive a 2011 9-5 and to say the rear vision is ‘limited’ from the drivers seat would be quite an understatement.
What do you say Saab?
North Toronto Punter said on March 24, 2011
Amen– I can’t bloody well back the TurboX into spot without having to roll down my window and double check. Or get out of the car and measure the hole…Never mind that I have Road-Runner ‘parking assistance’ (Useless…can’t trust it) . And if you think it’s just my inattention ask my much younger friend Kroum!
Blind Spot Avoidance wouldn’t go amiss either…
Not a ‘Frill’. Not when the competition have it.
Jeff said on March 24, 2011
I just saw a news piece saying that all kids under 5′ tall should sit in booster seats (up to 12 years old). If I were an 11 year old sitting in a booster seat, I’d be pretty peeved
hughw said on March 24, 2011
This is all in the NY Times article referenced above.
Daniel B said on March 24, 2011
Well to be honest this is sort of a hott issue for me.
I have 2 children 3 and 1 1/2 years old. The both sit faced backwards in my 9-5 SC. My son who is 3 is sitting in a Britax Two-Way and my daughter in a BeSafe IZiKid.
It is doable but as far as space goes I guess it all comes down to 3 main points:
1. What Saab model do you have?
2. What Childseats do you have?
3. What is your length (aka how far back do you have to pull your front seat) ?
The BeSafe IziKid is one enormous seat, BUT it has also been acknowledged as the most safe seat there is for kids 0-18 kg´s. This is what my Saab-dealer recommended, and I got it when my son was 9 months.
Now getting the Besafe into the back of my 9-5 SC is no problem at all, BUT it has to be positioned behind the passenger front seat ( my wife is 160cm tall and I´m 180cm) -so there is no way in hell that it goes behind the drivers seat with me driving. ( result is that the space in the passanger fron seat IS rather limited but is OK to ride shorter distances.
My daughter who´s 1 1/2 years old sits in this seat.
The Britax Two-way don´t take up as much space so it´s ok to have this behind my driverseat with the space left for me being OK. BUT it is a bit short of space for his legs (banging into the backrest of the backseat) so I will probably turn the Two-way around when he turns 4, or simply getting one of those front faced seats and use the twoway for my daughter instead.
Anyway,
I testdrove the NG 9-5 Sedan about 6 months ago, and putting the Besafe into that car left me with two main impressions:
1. Almost impossible to get it in since the doors slope downward so much in the roofline.
2. NO problem at all to put the Besafe behind the driversseat and STILL have great space in both the front AND back!
Sooo:
When finally positioned, the space in the NG 9-5 is great!
/Daniel
Jr. said on March 24, 2011
The reasoning for the 4-year rule us that the child has a weak neck up to that age, which can cause severe injures to the neck even in a small accident when facing frontwards.
My children has been backwards to the age 4 in a 9-5 SC without problems.
UA said on March 24, 2011
Well, I guess the age is a recommendation because the childs neck isn´t strong enough in relation to weight of its head. In case of an accident the head is thrown around with an incredible force. (see link) http://www.folksam.se/testergodarad/barnibil/1.74323
The length is as (or more) important.
If the head beginning to reach above the child-seat it´s time to change seat or position.
Take care!
/UA
USAaber said on March 24, 2011
I have two suggestions/comments:
A not-so-bulky, “less safe child seat” may be much safer for your child if it can be placed so the child faces rearwards, than a bulky one forcing the child to face forwards…
Saab could put together a child-safety-in-your-car pamphlet and distribute at maternity wards, for the new parents to bring home together with their newborn. Maybe even some incentive to buy a Saab to keep the family safe (while retaining all the fun going from point A to point B!!!).
Ken H said on March 24, 2011
The discussion always assumes that there will be a frontal impact. In reality the most common accidents are rear and side impacts.
How safe is a backwards facing seat at a heavy rear impact? After all, there is a reason Saab developed SAHR.
Adam said on March 24, 2011
Many head on accidents occur at closing speeds of 60 miles an hour for each vehicle, ending up with 100mph+ accidents.
Most rear impacts are low speed accidents where one vehicle is stationary so you’re (generally) looking at a 40mph or lower impact which is far safer for the child as the forces involved are far lower and if you are hit from behind the transfer of force will knock the vehicle that is struck forwards smoothing out the impact.
mi mi said on March 24, 2011
Article in the NYT today — suggested the importance of booster seats up to ages 8-12, depending on child’s height/weight. Many people aren’t aware of the newer research/advice and it would be great to spread the information.
“Children should ride in the rear of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.”
Rear-Facing Car Seats Advised at Least to Age of 2http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/health/policy/22carseat.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage