Child Safety with Bench Seat

[MistyC]

Calling all parents who are Sane & Safe!

Help me and my husband solve a debate.

We have a 86 C7 J with a bench seat in the back. The seat is only bolted down on the front legs and the back flips up and folds the seat to allow more room in the back for storage. This means that the only thing keeping a person secure to the seat is the seat belts that are bolted into the frame of the jeep. Make Sense?

My son is 1 1/2 and we want to take him on some semi-mild 4x4ing.

Is it a law to bolt down all 4 corners of the bench seat? Especially if we have him riding on the Hwy etc?

What is your opinion of the safety regulations or your personal opinion on what you would do with your 1 1/2 yr old considering that the seat belts will be securing the car seat to the bench but that the bench isn't secure to the frame?

Also, is it ok for the car seat to be higher than the bench seat?

Thank you,

Misty

 

[mhubacek]

My CJ has the same thing, PO made it so the seat will tumble forward. He also built a lever latch that secures the rear of the seat to the floor though. Didn't look to hard to make, and you can unlatch it whenever needed to tumble the seat forward. It is just a simple latch that attatches to the lower rear frame of the bench seat. I don't know if it would actually hold the seat in, if I was in a accident though. If I can get pics, I'll send them if interested.

 

[mylittlecj5]

I cant speak for the current laws per se, but I have and will take my daughter out in the Jeep with us any time we go. She started wheeling on mild trips at about 12 months old, in a car seat in the back of my CJ. There have been times I carried her in my arms over the roughest parts, then took the Jeep across.

FWIW, stop by your local fire department. They can help you with these issues regarding the local preferences in regard to local law enforcement.

 

[dalefan88]

my wife wont let our six month old no where near the jeep. she is afraid ill bounce him right out the back window lol. so i only get to drive the jeep if she is home so my daughter and i can go play in it.

 

[BrockGrimes]

This has been a big debate, the seat belt holds the carseat in and holds the seat down.
But I like a little more security.

As for it sticking up, I wouldn't ride my son in the back seat of my CJ5 as the seat sits
him so far back in a car seat he'd be outside the protection of the roll bars.

So my son rode in the front passenger seat.
In my wifes Rubicon Unlimited he's in the middle in the back.

My plan for my CJ5 was to center mount a bucket seat moved forward toward the front seats. Then he'd sit in the middle and forward of the tailgate. Plus a family
cage would have been added.

 

[gert]

I am in the process of making a 2000 model seat fit in my 83 and have been pondering weaher or not to secure the back of the seat as well as the front of the seat......the seat belts should stop everyone from moving in an accident however someone with some with some fab skillls can fab a latch like I am considering to hold the seat still in an accident

 

[IOPort51]

The car seat goes in the front seat.

 

[dalefan88]

my 5 year old is always in the front when we go out.

 

[BrockGrimes]

I've seen a fold and tumble in a YJ or TJ that came out in a wreck.
But it was empty at the time.

 

[MistyC]

Thank you for all your replies. We would put our son in the front but we have Mastercraft bucket seats and the car seat doesn't fit I guess there is only one way to know about the law and real safety regulations and that is to go to the fire department or call the DOT (Department Of Transportation). I know there is a high percentage that he'll be safe in the back seat but if something happened to him and i could have been safer, I just don't want to say.. " i wish i would have.." Thanks again for your replies.

 

[CJKrawler]

I rode my son around in the back of my TJ without any worries. It comes standard with the fold and tumble. I don't see where there would be an issue, provided the seatbelt is properly secured

 

[BrockGrimes]

If your concerned about a jeep being safe.
This is my wifes jeep:

This is the Semi that hit her: