Just as the topic states. My mom and girlfriend are trying to convince me that it's just as safe as in the back seat of a 4 door sedan since it doesn't have airbags.. I remain unconvinced and am looking for some advice from long term Fiero owners.

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4,500 RPM in 5th gear is bad?



The Duke will NEVER DIE

I would say it is. this is the reason for the air bag shut off you see is most regular cab pick up trucks now.

I've done it, but I can't vouch as to whether it's just as safe.

My 4 year old sits in a racing style booster seat chair in the fiero.
He love's riding in the "hot rod".
Booster seat puts him just high enough to see over the hood a bit and also reach his window button.

My wife and I feel perfectly safe with him in it. Of course this is intown driving,haven't taken him on the interstate or anything.
We've got other,safer cars for stuff like that.

I think the biggest issue is with the windshield,and nothing between it and the kid.
That and front seat airbags are the main reason's for kids to be in the backseat.
The only reason kids can't be in front of the airbag is mostly because of size,airbags are designed for a range that doesn't include that small of a stature.

A child can be injured severly in a 5mph parking lot fender bender ( I used to be an EMT also,lol-like 10 years ago,just local CERT now)
Odds are,an accident on the scale that would make the difference between back seat protection and front seat damages would be arguing semantics I think.
Would they be safer in a sedan? depends on the type and scope of the accident really.
Most of the time,yeah-but if your just going around town etc.. and not high speeds then you more or less eliminate the larger more major accidents where front/rear seat semantics come into play.
Does that make any sense?

Coming from a father of two disabled children,one blind with cerebral palsy and the other with hardly any digits-I'm overprotective and over sensitive to both.
I've been medically trained as an EMT intermediate level (step below paramedic) and have seen many many accidents (including the OKC tornado and one of the first onscene at the I40 bridge collapse.)
It's my opinion that it's a very safe car for intown runaround driving with a child in the front seat,as long as you utilize defensive driving techniques (as you should anyway)

[This message has been edited by DefEddie (edited 09-08-2009).]

quote Originally posted by pontiackid86:I would say it is. this is the reason for the air bag shut off you see is most regular cab pick up trucks now.

BINGO!!!!

my 3 years rides in my car all the time. i use the anchor straps and the seat belt to secure the car seat. one, i attach to the fiero seat frame next to the console. next i connect the other anchor to the fiero seat belt loop in the floor. the long one go over top of the fiero seat and down to the seat belt loop. then i out my weight in it and tighten every down, and just for safe measure, i try push the fiero seat up a notch. and last, i put the fiero seat belt though the car seat. it doesn't move at all. here are some pics with our son's car seat in my fiero:





and here he is climbing on the fiero



(older pics, taken in February)

my 5year old gets in mine in one of the racing style boosters, i feel its just as safe as the back of the cavalier...

My nephew is 18 months old and in love with cars and everyone is trying to convince me I should take him on the Charity cruise this Sunday, but with him still being in a car seat had me a little leery about it, mainly because of the wide open windshield, and if something were to happen I don't think I could live with myself.

i will try to get around to doing sometime today. my car is under a car cover without the seat in it

When my kids were young enough for a car seat, air bags were not an issue but the recommended position was in the center of the back seat. As a practical matter, it was easier because it was a simple lap belt in the center position.
I don’t think a front seat is dangerous, just not as safe as the center rear seat.
That’s where Ralph Nader rides. He hasn’t driven a car or ridden in the front seat since the sixties and that’s nuts in my book.
It is a question what risk is acceptable. There are no guarantees even if you stay at home. You could be hit by a car sitting on your couch or you might be at risk of not having a life.

A Car seat in a Fiero?? That's Sacrilege!!

My 4 year old loves to ride in the Fiero. It puts her just high enough she can see out the front and side windows.
I have had my Fiero stripped down to the frame and know how well the passengers are protected.
I have seen a lot of Honda Accords come through the body shop and feel a lot more comfortable with my daughter riding in my Fiero then in the back of my Metro or Accord.

a car seat is safer than them being tied to the spoiler ......what ?
well you wouldnt put them in the trunk would you ?

There is nothing wrong or unsafe about a car seat in a Fiero. As long that there is no law that prevents it in you're state and it is properly put in is just as safe as most cars.

The big thing is air bags kill little kids and if you do not have one or can shut it done that should not be an issue.

There is more a danger that a Fiero is a small car than anything but that is just the nature of the beast it is safe for a small car but crush space is limited and that is for any small car.

I had one of the original Simpson car seats that looked like a racing seat in mine for my son. It even has Simpson on the belts like a racing harness. Too bad they changed them.

quote Originally posted by hyperv6: As long that there is no law that prevents it in you're state and it is properly put in is just as safe as most cars.

That is a big one. I have seen a lot of car seats that were not properly installed.
A lady came in while back and I notice she didn't have the child's seat buckled in the car, so I mentioned something to her. All she said was that she must have forgotten to buckle the child's seat in when she put it back in her car the other day.

[This message has been edited by tampalinc (edited 09-09-2009).]

ok i finally got around to taking pictures. here you go:

here is the frame location were i attach the 1st anchor hook. this is the most difficult step, you got to push it in between seat and console and kind of wiggle it untill it hooks. keep tention on the strap or it may come unhooked



next i attach the other anchor to the seat belt loop. make sure that the adjustment is on this side.


put your knee in the seat and tighten the straps as much as possible.





at this point, it's a good idea to put the fiero seat belt through the car seat.

put the top anchor over the top of the seat and pull it to the seat belt loop


attach the anchor to the loop and pull tight


check everything and make its all tight. if you can, try to slide the seat forward a notch or 2. then have your baby's mama come approve



In georgia, if you are unsure how to install a car seat, you can take your car and seat to a local fire station and have a fire fighter educate you on how to properly install it. they have deen trained to do so and offer this service for free. i took my car seat installed in the car by a fire station a friend works at, showed them and explained how i did it and they said it was perfect.

[This message has been edited by CogFieroGT (edited 09-09-2009).]

Lol,we've got that same car seat in our collection.


It is extremely important that car seats are put in correctly.
An incorrectly installed car seat can cause more damages than it will help.
You should be able to pull up to any police,fire or ambulance hq/station and have them check your car seat install.
They will make sure it is correct and safe for you.
We had programs and held workshops sometimes teaching this to parents.
Both hospitals my children were born at walked you downstairs and checked the car seat when leaving with new baby.
It was a requirement to make sure you did it correctly,part of new parent "training".
Also never use a "used" or secondhand baby seat or one that has been in an accident.

WOW.
When I asked this same question 4 years ago, I was called everything but "a white man" for even suggesting putting my baby in a Fiero.

it happens

I checked into local laws and found that there is nothing wrong with putting a carseat in the Fiero. I've had my eleven week old in the car numerous times, I always crack the window a little bit and he just giggles the entire time. I have to agree with the earlier comments that the big issue would be if you have airbags to worry about.

Just my $.02

Take care,
Wilson

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Just to think in the 60's I used to ride and sleep in the rear window storage area in the rear window of a Corvair. Seat belts were just a new option back then.