..Mark..

How does this work. Can you only put your kid in the middle, is there a way to deactivate them, are there sensors that know there is a kid there versus an adult?

Discuss..

jvinhj240

yes , there is a way to deactivate them. i suggest you call airbag specialist.

Inaccurate

Mark,

What are your exact concerns ?

The side curtain airbags do not reach outward very far. If the child seat is in the center of the rear seat, there is no way (not even close) that the side air bag would reach the child in the center of the rear seat.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

When the driver side airbags deployed back in october when I was rear ended/driver side quarter panel... The driver and rear driver side ones deployed... It does appear that if the carseats are not in the middle... The air bag can infact cause injury to a child...
Solution.. That racing seat looking car seat... It has kneck protection

..Mark..

Its mounted in the center, but it would be nice if i could move it to the side.

NaplesTL

I have mine mounted in the seat, I am not sure but I do not think it will hit the child seat, I think it will go off over the child seat. Someone on here might know better.

..Mark..

I'm thinking Acura wouldn't have put the anchors on all 3 seating locations if it were an issue.. Maybe i'm just paranoid.

NaplesTL

true I had it in the center but I couldn't see him so I moved him to the pass. rear seat with a mirror on the head rest so I could see him better, works pretty good

..Mark..

Thats what i wanted to do. Besides my rearward vision is partially obstructed w/ my kid in the middle.

NaplesTL

those little guys change everything

avs007

I don't think side/curtain airbags should be an issue... The front airbags are an issue, because those rearward facing seats, will sit abnormally close to the airbag, such that deployment will throw the seat into the chair. Front airbags were designed to deploy with the person sitting in the seat.

Side/curtain airbags on the other hand... Were designed to operate with a person sitting right next to it.

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

Guys I wouldn't risk it really... I was hit in the rear as stated above and I was rolling maybe 5mph.. The cop was speeding on a 30 doing 50 at least... The airbags did more harm than good...

..Mark..

That's pretty much what i have decided..

McKulit

Great question.

Everyone has a valid point.

1. Why would Acura put three anchors in the back seat if their tests show placing the child on the sides can hurt them?

As far as I know the warning label for a child in a carrier was only placed in the front passenger side. I didn't find anything in the manual either suggesting that you need to place the child in the middle of the backseat.

2. Side airbags are deployed sideways and downwards not like the airbag in front of the car that opens up towards your chest or head.

I have not read any consumer report or any article suggesting that the side airbags are unsafe for a child occupant. When the Honda Accord came out with their first model with the side airbag it was rated safest family car compared to the camry that year which didn't come out with the side airbag.

3. I'm more concerned about shattered window, even if it's laminated when hit from the side. A child could ingest one of the shattered pieces and that's unthinkable. I'm assuming most of the side curtain can cover the window in a split second that when it shatters most of the glass particles would be on the floor.

CONCLUSION:

In the end it's up to you - Parents. No one wants to take unnecessary risks specially when there is a child onboard. Personally I would not want to put a child in the middle unless there's two other occupants in the back.

..Mark..

Some interesting info i came across.. http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html

"Currently, side airbags are generally not considered a risk to children in correctly used child restraints. In fact, children in properly installed and used child restraints should gain a safety benefit from side impact airbags unless otherwise indicated in an owner's manual. A possible risk is to child passengers seated out of position; leaning on the door, face on the window, head sleeping on a pillar, etc. This would be most relevant to children in boosters who are not seated properly, and to children not using any type of seatbelt or restraint. Side curtain airbags should be even less risk, as they are higher and inflate with somewhat less force. In general, it should be OK to place a child in a harnessed carseat (front or rear facing) in a rear seat position with an active side airbag, as long as the owner's manuals for the carseat and vehicle do not prohibit such placement. Automakers have agreed to a rigorous set of testing procedures based on voluntary compliance to standards established in a working group chaired by the IIHS These standards include tests of all types of side airbags with 3yr, 6yr and 5th percentile female dummies in a variety of normal and extreme seating positions. While these voluntary standards will apply to some model year 2002 and many model year 2003 vehicles, they may not apply to earlier models."

McKulit

Great find on the FAQs. Thanks for sharing

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

ok so you want to tell your 1 year old "um hunny don't lean to that side, because the curtain side aribags can injure you if you aren't seated in the proper position"... child reply - "drool"... uuuuh lmfao... lol

Evader

It's my personal opinion that you won't have anything to worry about with your child sitting anywhere in the backseat fastened into their car seat. I believe the air bags main purpose is so your head doesn't make contact with the window. In the case of my five year old daughter, there is no possible way her head can hit against the window when she is in her car seat. I used to always have my daughter situated in the center of the rear seat to ease my comfort bc I have always figured if we were ever t-boned on either side she would stand a greater chance of surviving the accident. Just my

Anansi

Great posts and some great information shared. The conclusion I've come to is, tonight I'm going to tell the wife and kids that for their own safety I cannot carry the kids in my TL because the jury is still out on the side curtain airbag issue. Not only will the kids be safer, but I won't have any of their fingerprints to clean off of the windows, shoe marks on the back of the seats, or any of the general junk that they often try to leave in my car!

Thanks for the amunition!

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

LMFAO bro you got real jokes that had me laughin for really

jvinhj240

I think if your child under 3, it is more harm if airbag deployed. airbag deployed at least 30mph in split sec. yes, i would disabe them until your child reach 3 .