Baby seat in your classic

Duke O Smiley

Just wondering what people's views are on this. I have an almost-two year old nephew whom I find is often in my company and with the acquisition of my 1979 Accord with no rear belts I have been wondering how the little guy is going to be transported now. I'm hoping ti fit belts in a couple of days but I am still wondering if it'll be safe to have him in the car. My head says, no, and I'm not really sure why, but my head says yes because he loves the car. The car is solid, and safe with good tires / brakes etc. If it wasn't I wouldn't have it on the road.

So I'm wondering, what would you do?

paulmclaughlin

Personally, I wouldn't risk it. A lack of safety equipment along with the fragility of a child would spell disaster should anything happen, unlikely as it may be.

macplaxton

Well as he's your nephew, ask his mother?

People worry too much.

Tzar Chasm

Well its a 79 accord, so give him the full eighties experience - let him jump about on the back seat while you travel at balistic speeds on narrow rural roads.

bonus points if you can squeeze in a dozen of his friends

quenching

Mine travel in the back of my '84 Mercedes 190 all the time. However, only on short suburban runs where the likelihood of a serious crash is less, and given the choice I'll always take the second modern car. Mine does have seatbelts in the back and I am always conscious of the fact that its a 30 year old design and nowhere near as safe as a modern car which does tend to make eye pay "proper" attention when driving!!!!

I survived a 70's childhood in the back of Morris Minor so a '79 Accord would have been luxury ;-)

Into The Blue

Iso fix seats are available up to stage 3. You'd have to weld the fixing point to the chassis, but it's not noticeable when the seat base is removed when not in use

hi5

Todays modern cars are death traps compared to cars we will have in 30 years time.

Dades

quenching wrote: »

Mine travel in the back of my '84 Mercedes 190 all the time. However, only on short suburban runs where the likelihood of a serious crash is less, and given the choice I'll always take the second modern car.

This.

My kids (6 & 4) travel in the front and the back of my '83 Porsche - but only around suburbia. Wouldn't be comfortable on bigger/faster roads where any small error from another driver can have serious consequences.

I've fond memories of ~8 cousins and myself in the back of a Citroen DS estate (three rows of seats and two of us in the boot) in 1980's Meath.

Tzar Chasm

Dades wrote: »

This.

My kids (6 & 4) travel in the front and the back of my '83 Porsche - but only around suburbia. Wouldn't be comfortable on bigger/faster roads where any small error from another driver can have serious consequences.

I've fond memories of ~8 cousins and myself in the back of a Citroen DS estate (three rows of seats and two of us in the boot) in 1980's Meath.

Ah its not really 'in the boot' in an estate or hatchback. I remember traveling to a gaa match in the boot of a cortina with 3 other lads.

macplaxton

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

Ah its not really 'in the boot' in an estate or hatchback. I remember traveling to a gaa match in the boot of a cortina with 3 other lads.

The last time I travelled in the boot (can't remember if there was room for anyone else) was in the early 1990s in a Vauxhall Nova saloon.

Can't wait until Sept. Youngest turns 3 so he can roll around in the back and if we get any hot days he can suffer the burns off the vinyl with his bro.

Mum won't be best pleased, but I call it character building #1970sdad

Duke O Smiley

Right, sorry for not getting back to this sooner. Good news anyway, while cleaning out the boot in the Accord I found two three point seat belts that I'm going to fit, win there! Saved myself a few quid there, though there aren't any holes to mount them.
Anyway, journeys aren't too major. Out to Dun Laoghaire from Coolock to drop him home being the biggest, otherwise just pretty minor journeys on pretty minor roads. I've talked with my sister and brother in law and they seemed to be okay with it. They didn't really understand why I was asking tbh. That comes across as a bit bad on their behalf but they just don't "get" classic cars, at all.

I reckon I'll fit the belts and give it a try.

Duke O Smiley

macplaxton wrote: »

#1970sdad

#90suncle (with good taste in cars)

Tzar Chasm

Is yours a beige accord?

Dades

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

Is yours a beige accord?

There's pics of it in the Post a Pic of your Classic thread.

unkel

Duke O Smiley wrote: »

I have an almost-two year old nephew whom I find is often in my company and with the acquisition of my 1979 Accord with no rear belts

Isn't the obvious answer to have the little lad in his childseat in the front of the car?

Duke O Smiley

unkel wrote: »

Isn't the obvious answer to have the little lad in his childseat in the front of the car?

Yes but regardless of where in the car I was wondering people's views on the matter anyway

unkel

OK in that case I'm with macplaxton: people worry too much

I wouldn't have a child in a car without seatbelts except maybe to go round the corner to the local shop / very slow traffic schoolrun etc.

With a seatbelt as others have said, a 70s or 80s car has very little protection compared to modern cars, but that wouldn't stop me from having my children in the car on occasion.

How many people get badly injured in classic cars in this country anyway? I'd say none to very few. The owners tend to be more mature / safer drivers anyway and well aware of their vehicles' safety shortcomings...

Sh1tbag OToole

It is now considered immoral by some to transport a child in a car over a certain age? I find it pure mad that the idea is even being entertained.

Soon you'll have people wanting to lock their children up in a sealed prison cell fed with filtered air, sterilised food and a constant stream of government-approved educational material till they're 18.