Hello,

Is anyone using child seats in the mini? I am wondering about safety issues and whether or not it is a responsible decision to be transporting an infant in the back?

We are expecting our first child and I am worried that the mini may have to go !

Thoughts? Thanks.

 

You might wanna check out this thread for some info

 

I will not put my 6 year old daughter in the backseat anymore. Most of the accidents I have seen are a result of rear-end collisions and there is little space crumple zone space.

Sure enough, in December we were hit in the rear at full speed by a 16 year old driver. Fortunately, we were in my five day old new BMW 328 and my daughter was not injured while in the back seat. But, had she been in the back seat of our MINI, this would have been a tragic story.

So, my daughter now always rides in the front passenger seat. I feel 100% comfortable with her next to me. The seat is all the way back from the dashboard and the MINI’s passenger airbag automatically turns off when it senses her weight. She also rides in a booster seat.

I know the safest place in a car is in the back seat. But after our horrific accident, I make an exception when driving in the MINI.

I’m sure many people will disagree with me, but I just wanted to post an alternative view.

Chris

 

I'm facing this same question regarding my 8 1/2 year old son. Last month there was a study listing MINI and several other small cars as poor in rear impact testing. I'm tempted to let him ride in the front with the presumption his weight is low enough not to deploy the front airbag in a crash. Any other input on this is appreiciated.

 

The "marginal"rear seat testing has nothing to do with the structural ability of the MINI to withstand rear impacts, but rather with the design of the rear seat head restraint.

Also, my 3 month old son has been riding in the back of both of our MINIs since birth with no problems. I don't feel unsafe putting him back there at all.

If you have any specific questions about car seats and strollers that fit the MINI, post your question here or send me a PM.

 

Children should not ride in the front seat until they reach the age of 12 and are at least 100 pounds of weight. Until then, resist the temptation to place him in the fron seat as the safest place in the car for your child will always be the rear seat.

 

From IIHS.org:

Rear crash protection: Mini

For each seat/head restraint, rear-end crash protection is an assessment of occupant protection against neck injury in rear impacts at low to moderate speeds. Although such injuries usually aren't serious, they occur frequently.
The overall ratings are based on a two-step evaluation. In the first step the geometry (distance behind and below the head of a seated average-size man) is rated good, acceptable, marginal, or poor. Seats with good or acceptable geometry then are subjected to a dynamic test simulating the forces in a stationary vehicle that's rear-ended by another vehicle of the same weight going 20 mph. Seat/head restraints with marginal or poor geometry aren't tested dynamically because they cannot protect taller people in rear-end crashes. These seats are rated poor overall.
In the dynamic tests measurements are recorded on a dummy (BioRID) representing an average-size man. BioRID is designed specifically for rear-end testing at low to moderate speeds. The dynamic ratings are derived from two seat design parameters (acceleration of the dummy's torso and time from impact initiation to head restraint contact with the dummy's head) plus tension and shear forces recorded on the dummy's neck. Overall ratings are based on both geometric measurements and dynamic results.
More about the procedures for rating seat/head restraints

 

Sorry but you are acting irresponsibly

Your six year old daughther SHOULD NEVER EVER ride the front passenger seat of the MINI until she reaches the age of 12 and at least 100 pounds of weight.

You are not protecting her more by letting her ride in the front seat of the MINI

If she rides the MINI, the safest place for her is the back seat, riding the appropiate booster seat setup and belted at all times.

Sorry for your BMW accident, but you are seriously underestimating the crash worthiness of the MINI and at the same time, you are needlessly endangering your daughters'life by putting her in the front seat.

 

You don't have to give up your MINI Its a small baby after all! If you pick the right gear, you all should be able to enjoy motoring in confort and safety I know I have as many others here such as OctaneGuy and WannaMini.

I'll post pictures of my 3 month old happily and safely riding our MINIs. Yes mom and pop each have a MINI.

 

I feel compelled to point out in all of these hand wringing safety threads that seat belts were not even mandatory until the 60's......the mass of the average sedan was as much if not more than the fake soccer mom SUV's on the road today....cars had metal dashes, solid sterring columns that impaled drivers, we rode in the back of pickups, STOOD in the front seats of cars and slept in the back window shelf on trips and speeds, pre gas crunch were the same if not higher than they are now....Frankly it really bothers me that people now are horified if thier kids even ride a bike without a helmet.
Any new car today is much safer (even the most un-safe)than the safest car from 10years ago...Most people cant afford new cars and are driving those 10+yr old cars, are they child abusers? I just think these safety paranoid discussions are ridiculous....I just don't make my decisions on fear...just go buy an ugly volvo if you want safety.

 

My son's 16 months old now and he's been riding in the MINI since birth. As a matter of fact the MINI was the only vehicle that we had until he was about 10 months old and my Monther-in-law gave us her mini-van. He still usually rides in the MINI though. Don't have any pictures of him riding in car (still at work) but I do have one of him driving at an early age (and for all the child safety activists who will flame me without reading the car was not running during this picture and was in a mostly empty Ruby Tuesdays parking lot).

 

Erik, you will be flammed!!!

(Veey cute baby you got there)

BTW, I tried your suggestion of loading up my 3 month old baby boy from the boot and it worked like a charm!

 

Can you post what seat you are using?
I have another little boy coming in April, and would like to know what seats are MINI and parent friendly.
Thanks

 

my babies due in March and with the ride of my mini being all sensitive to the contours of our roads, my wife will never let the baby (newborn/infant) in my mini and i dont blame her. so my newborn will be in the lexus at all times. worked out for the better for both of us.

accidents are accidents. unpredictable and unimaginable of the aftermath. lets hope and pray with faith our love ones will never experience a bad story.

 

I feel neglected now, A few days and no flames!!!

Glad to hear that you like the BABY BOOT LOADING procedure ! Once we thought of doing it that way we never stopped until we turned him around to face forward.

 

Congratulations!!! Like that commercial says, "Having a baby changes everything." It really does! But oh, so much for the better!

AHA! I was going to find my thread, and BAMatt already found it (see second post in this thread). It's a great thread I think with LOTS of advice.

I think that putting an infant in the back is quite responsible. I had to prove to my husband that our boy would be safe in the backseat. I convinced him. And I feel that our boy is VERY safe. many people on these threads who were in an accident say that the hatch gets bang up pretty bad but that the direct area around the back is intact!

Don't give in to the American way of thinking that says you have to get an SUV or a Minivan when you procreate. I think it's ridiculous. Just think of how much fun the little one will have in a MINI!! While his other school chums are being shuttled in a minivan or Suburban.....

 

[semi hijack]
Isn't it funny how now we are taking all these steps to protect kids, and to better educate them, and to have "play-dates", and to have "time-outs", and to "get down and talk to their level" when they are in trouble, are made to feel like royalty because the parents' lives revolve around them, but yet, kids in general are bigger brats today than in any time in history? [/hijack]

 

I have the Graco Snugride, of course facing backwards. It does take up quite a bit of space, and for someone sitting in the front, it would be quite uncomfortable, but it fits, and our boy is real safe!! For his toddler seat, he is getting a Recaro...

 

Keep in mind most carseats have a head buffer - a little attachment that goes around the sides of the head that adds some stability. Ben has been in the MINI since he was 8 weeks old. All the motion now, even the bumps, puts him straight to sleep.