Child car seats

wannamud

New member
Just wanted to know if anyone else had been told by the police to get another car because a baby seat does not fit in a four door Jeep properly? A friend of mine went to the baby seat clinic run by the local police and was told three times that the child restaint was not installed properly and that they needed to get rid of their jeep because it was unsafe for the baby. She called Jeep and they did not have any information for her as to what could be done. Ufortunatly she now has to sell her Jeep and go to a minivan. She is not impressed that Jeep could not help and tried several car seats as well as her dealership. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how it can be resolved.
 

really? you have to go to a class for installation of child car seats now? i would skip the class if you can and put the car seat in according to the directions. i think if hte seat belt can hold an adult in then it can hold a car seat. i know ours always did
 
in Mass, the hospital will not let you take a new born home unless the child seat/base were installed or inspected by the fire department.

and no, the police can not tell you that, that would be the job of the federal DOT which is the regulatory body over such issues. if the rear of the vehicle is not in accordance with the regulations for fitment of a child seat at the time of te vehicle being produced then it would not have been legal for sale to the public at all.
 
Sounds like safety nazi BS to me. Some people, believe it or not, really just don't like Jeeps. I don't know why the bias is there, but it is. I have a car seat in the back of my 2-door TJ and have not had any problems. The 4-door should be even more accomodating. Before getting rid of her new Jeep for a (gasp) minivan, she may want to consider a second opinion.
 

Sounds like "Barney Fife" had something against Jeeps!!! If the child seat was installed per the mfg instructions & the rear seat was installed by the mfg than how can the child seat be improperly installed & unsafe????? I am all for safety & would not want to endanger a child but at what point does common sense enter this equation? The purpose of a child safety seat is to safely restrain a child in a collision or near collision....if the seat is being used as it was designed whats the problem?:deadhorse: Sorry for the rant.
 
My guess is that she has the wrong child seat. It's true that there isn't much room in a Wrangler's backseat, and if you get one that's too big then it's going to push up against the front seat. I found that If I slide the front seat forward there was plenty of room.

As to having to sell the Jeep, that's hogwash. Jeep has met or exceeded all guidelines set forth by the NTSB (National Transportation Saftey Board). A Jeep has no different safety requirements for a child seat, than any other vehicle.

From my personal experience, it's much easier to use a car seat that has a detachable base. You leave the base in the Jeep and pop out the carrier.
 

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NTSB (National Transportation Saftey Board).. thats the regulatory body, couldn't recall the accronym

Cute kids
 
About 13 months ago my Little girl and her newborn left Southshore hospital, [Ma,] In my 96 xj sport. The nurse,s go directly to the car you plan to leave in with the baby. They do check the way the baby is being secured.They do look very close at the seatbelts and the car seat .This car seat also brought her older sister {3 years old} home when born, although not in the jeep. {GRRRR}
The car seat was a handmedown too,, so im not shore how old it is. The nurses said I was fine and commented on my almost mint xj... I had just replaced headliner.. Anyway The fire depts, In mass will actualy give you a carseat if yours is not safe, free... And buy the way tell that copshop to get there facts together on the safty ratings of a jeep..Her car seat is just about the same as the one in the pic.. I also Know that im in an xj and not a yj and I cant taste the mud like guys do, LOL, but the saetbelts are all the same..Only your in the wind with no top.. So strap-em-in find a puddle and get dirty..Be safe, And God bless you and the U.S.A. PS. My 3yo. grandprincess go,s on the trail with me and loves it Im only on flat trail so I have let her play in the mud to get dirty not to fun 4 me but she likes it. And please DONT sell! Its a jeep thing!!!
 
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my kids grew up in 4x4s with no ac and 33's. i cannot believe the nurses come inspect your car, like they are certified for automotive safety.

i know a state i am never moving to
 

I am a CPS technician (Child passenger safety) and I can say that there are many different factors when it comes to this subject. I have only heard of cases where a seat would not be recommend such as the front seat without a airbag off switch, but I personally have never heard of seat not working in the rear. All newer vehicles have LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children). If the child seat doesnot have LATCH the seatbelts do the job, some require locking clips, others have auto locking retactors... Look in the owners manual, and the seat manual. There should be clear explainations on how to make it work. When installed properly, the seat should be as tight as it can be but one inch of movement is allowed front to back and side to side. Keep kids rear facing past the 1st year as long as possible, don't just turn them around because they are a year old. Remember also that child seats have expiration dates usually between 5 and 10 years. Keep the Jeep, lose the cops, call your local social service dept. and ask if they know of any other CPS techs in that area.
 
it just sounds like you have a bunch of jerks where you live. i put both my kids in my yj. one in the from one in the rear & i have passed by dozens of cops on the road. although ive gotten a few bad looks from snobby moms, but all the old guys drive by with thumbs up & smiles, & my 5 year old loves the attention. doors off & top down.
 
my kids grew up in 4x4s with no ac and 33's. i cannot believe the nurses come inspect your car, like they are certified for automotive safety.

I don't know man, I don't really see this as a bad thing. It's easy to get caught up in the moment when having a kid and forget something (like bringing a carseat with you before the kid's born). The nurses don't really inspect your car, they just make sure that you have a safe car seat when coming home the first time.

I'm sure a quick inspection could have helped Britney a bit
 

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Just wanted to know if anyone else had been told by the police to get another car because a baby seat does not fit in a four door Jeep properly? A friend of mine went to the baby seat clinic run by the local police and was told three times that the child restaint was not installed properly and that they needed to get rid of their jeep because it was unsafe for the baby. She called Jeep and they did not have any information for her as to what could be done. Ufortunatly she now has to sell her Jeep and go to a minivan. She is not impressed that Jeep could not help and tried several car seats as well as her dealership. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how it can be resolved.
Well I'd go seek another station for help. Call first and ask if they aid in the correct installation of the seat.
When we had our first, the State Police held some area seat checks at the library, mall etc. And, on every 3rd Tuesday of the month you could go directly to the station and an officer would come out to inspect the seat. If they felt it was not in correct or level, they (yes the officers) would take it out and add padding, spacers... until it was installed sufficiently. At that time we had a Grand prix with deep leather bucket like back seats (slippery and not flat). They took about a half hour to fix the seat to their liking. To get it flat I had a knee forcing down as the officer tightened teh belt and locked it down. When done, the officer said stop back if it loosens or needs to be adjusted.
 
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i understand them checking for a car seat but inspecting its set up in the car. that is outside their range. i am all for someone making sure you got all the right stuff but not for them telling you your car is not safe for a car seat or dumb stuff like that.

i think texas is the same, as far as them making sure you have a car seat. they don't get in and inspect your car though to make sure the seat is proper or anything like that.
 
Just wanted to know if anyone else had been told by the police to get another car because a baby seat does not fit in a four door Jeep properly? A friend of mine went to the baby seat clinic run by the local police and was told three times that the child restaint was not installed properly and that they needed to get rid of their jeep because it was unsafe for the baby. She called Jeep and they did not have any information for her as to what could be done. Ufortunatly she now has to sell her Jeep and go to a minivan. She is not impressed that Jeep could not help and tried several car seats as well as her dealership. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how it can be resolved.

Why does she not go to someone who has passed the inspection that has a jeep and find out what she is doing wrong? There has to be other jeep owners who get the thumbs up. To me it would be cheaper to find a different car seat then go buy a new vechicle. Unless she is using it as an excuse? LOL Cause who in their right mind would not want a jeep? (Just playin):shades:
 

Wow thanks for all the responses. We do live in Canada and it was a seatbelt clinic she went to the thing i can't understand is that she has bought two different car seats and they are saying neither one was installed properly. Unfortunately our police departments do not fix the problem or they have tried and nothing worked. I know myself that my sister in law put my nephew in the jeep all the time in a car seat and there was no problems. It seems when Jeep Canada themselves cannot give her a solution there is a problem.
 
i understand them checking for a car seat but inspecting its set up in the car. that is outside their range. i am all for someone making sure you got all the right stuff but not for them telling you your car is not safe for a car seat or dumb stuff like that.

i think texas is the same, as far as them making sure you have a car seat. they don't get in and inspect your car though to make sure the seat is proper or anything like that.
Well it's really about the safety of the child and not about the inspection. If I didn't mention this inspection in PA was voluntary and free. We did it to keep safe. I didn’t want the possibility that if something was to happen it was due to my negligence.

To the OP what are the guidelines, laws or specifications for a safely installed seat and just what one(s) are you failing?? If they can't tell you this specifically you will never pass. Is it the angle, spacing, type of seatbelt, restraint, or harness... If I remember correctly I installed a loop to the floor and strap in my F150 to keep the front of the seat tethered down.
 
Man things have changed...

Dad used to just throw us 5 kids in the back of the old CJ5 (well, one in the front and four in the back - we'd switch off riding shotgun) . We'd sit on the steel fender boxes, two on each side and have a blast. No seat belts, no booster seats. In the winter, though, sometimes you'd get a cold bottom when Dad drove through slush (you'd feel it thumping and clumping under the fender and then... Whoooeee - a cold butt:lol: ) . Ahhh, yes, a simpler time. -John
 

Man things have changed...

Dad used to just throw us 5 kids in the back of the old CJ5 (well, one in the front and four in the back - we'd switch off riding shotgun) . We'd sit on the steel fender boxes, two on each side and have a blast. No seat belts, no booster seats. In the winter, though, sometimes you'd get a cold bottom when Dad drove through slush (you'd feel it thumping and clumping under the fender and then... Whoooeee - a cold butt:lol: ) . Ahhh, yes, a simpler time. -John

wish it would go back to that time. everyone is so touchy & in your business.
 
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