My daughter riding in my (her) NSX

[latzke]

I've got 3 girls (2,4,6) and I've always wanted to give one a ride around the neighborhood. Not that this should be a deciding factor, but do you ever get any grief/dirty looks from neighbors driving - what many probably assume is a 'dangerous' car - with a kid in the front seat?

Three girls here also, same age even. It is not just legal but perfectly safe for them to ride in the NSX at any age. When they are rear-facing it should be in an early model without passenger airbag (or with airbag switch installed to deactivate). When in forward-facing seat with 5-point belts you use the upper tether (see owners manual).

 

[EuroBoutique]

Three girls here also, same age even. It is not just legal but perfectly safe for them to ride in the NSX at any age. When they are rear-facing it should be in an early model without passenger airbag (or with airbag switch installed to deactivate). When in forward-facing seat with 5-point belts you use the upper tether (see owners manual).

How can a 3 year old ride in the NSX? I was under the impression they need to be 60lbs or 6 years old?

My wife and I have agreed the kids won't ride in any of my 2-door sport cars until they are old enough to at least use a booster chair. Hence the S4/M3 make great daddy commuters.

My friends think I'm nuts but with 2 kids we own a total of 5 baby seats from some of the top names (Clek, Recaro, Maxi Cosi, Radian) since I hate moving the seats around the cars (we also have 2 suv's and a hybrid the kids do most of their seat time).

I can tell you over the past few years I learned a few things about car seats and every seat has it's plus/minus. The Recaro is famous for it's name and has some good points (light weight, easy to secure) come to mind but they are bulky and not a great travel seat (the Radian are the best for airplanes and travel).

here's my oldest in her favorite seat:

 

[latzke]

How can a 3 year old ride in the NSX? I was under the impression they need to be 60lbs or 6 years old

Based on what reasoning or law?

Rear-facing seats for infants: These should only be used if you do not have a passenger air bag (if you have airbag there are legal means to have disabling switches installed). Daughter pictured in my avatar was just a couple/few months old when she took her first ride.

Front-facing 5-point seats for toddlers: Should be secured with both the seat belt and the top anchor. There is an anchor attachment point behind the passenger seat, hidden behind the pleather panel hiding the firewall/electronics. Panel has notches to help you cut out hole to mount anchor, or just leave the panel out. You'll need to purchase from Honda/Acura the anchor that screws in here (most other late-80s and 90s Hondas/Acuras require this same screw-in anchor on deck behind the rear seats). Illustration is in the NSX owner's manual, somewhere around page 10. Fish the top anchor between headrest and seat, clip into that anchor. Move the seat back as far as possible (away from airbag) and make sure belts are tight.

More info on the top anchor (or "tether")...
Honda Part Number: 82410-SE3-C01
These things are described in the second half of this page: http://www.thecarseatlady.com/vehicles/the_latch_system_9.html
If you google the part number, you'll find pictures of the thing.

Booster seats: Like any other car. Move the seat back as far as possible (away from airbag) and make sure belts are tight.

 

[EuroBoutique]

This is from the California CHP site:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/child_safetyseat_faqs.html


I know the NSX technically falls into the exemption law thus they can sit up front if you disable the airbag but it's not recommended so this is why my wife and I agreed not to put the kids in the car.


California's New Child Passenger Safety Law effective January 1, 2012

California Law will require children to ride in the back seat in a properly secured child passenger safety restraint until they are at least 8 years old or until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches in height.


Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the law revised?
Children are at greater risk when riding in the front seat. A child's injury risk is reduced by 33% when moved from the front seat to the back seat.

Are there exemptions?
Yes, there are a few. Your child may ride in the front seat if:
Your vehicle has no rear seats.
Rear seats are side-facing jump seats.
Child safety restraints must never be placed on side-facing vehicle seats.
The child restraint system cannot be properly installed in the rear seat.
For example, your vehicle has lap belts only in the back seat, but there are lap and shoulder belts in the front seat. Your child is 5 and weighs 45 pounds and must ride in a booster seat. The booster seat must be used with a lap and shoulder belt; therefore your child may ride in the front seat.
Children under age 12 occupy all rear seats.
Medical reason (written by the pediatrician) requires that child not be restrained in the back seat. All children are safer in the back seat, ask another adult to ride with the child in the back.

 

[docjohn]

our thought process was along those lines......a 2 seat only car is a greater liability in a crash...my wife and did not want the risk when the boys were very young.My 9 yo does now ride with me occasionally.Of course both boys love spirited drives around our driveway.And our annual kids day track rides at the glen :biggrin:

 

[Cincy Jamie]

She thinks it's her car also :biggrin:

 

[Alec_fields]

I can not wait until my child is excited about riding around in my car. My 2 year old niece LOVES sitting in it and pretending like she is driving even though she has never been in the car outside of the garage. I told my wife to prepare for a mini NSX....... I have already started shaping the NSX body out of foam to make a fiberglass body to retro-fit a powerwheels vehicle with an NSX body...... stay tuned!!

-Alec

 

[latzke]

I have no airbag to disable, which eliminates that concern. The NSX is really, really well built. I have no doubt kids are safer in its front seat than the back seat of most sedans of the same era. If larger kids/adults allowed to ride in the NSX would otherwise be in a vehicle with side curtain airbags - I would wager they are less safe in the NSX (no side-curtain airbag). If the game is relative safety, they shouldn't be allowed to ride in the NSX either. Why care about relative safety of small kids and not apply the same logic to teenagers or adults? Why own an NSX at all if you don't think it is safe?

 

[EuroBoutique]

I don't think the discussion here is how safe is a car. If you go by that logic than race cars are perfectly safe with the roll cage but I think all would agree no kids should ride in those cars. My wife works in the OR and it's pretty much a known fact child's body's are more fragile than teenagers and adults.

Ultimately it's up to the parents to make the decision on what is safe since I see quite a range of what other kids do but for us, we have made our decision they will not ride in our sport cars till they are older.

On a side-note my boy seems to prefer 2 wheels to 4-wheels!

 

[jwmelvin]

I don't think the discussion here is how safe is a car. . . . child's body's are more fragile than teenagers and adults.

If you go by that logic, you are saying that you are more likely to get into an accident with your kids in your NSX than with your kids in another car. That strikes me as somewhat off. I understand one could argue that the NSX is less likely to be seen by other drivers because it is low. But in my Spa Yellow car, I think it is at least as visible. And the NSX should be at least as good at most other cars at avoiding an accident, particularly given how one might expect to drive with a child in the car.

. . . race cars are perfectly safe with the roll cage but I think all would agree no kids should ride in those cars.

At racing speeds, agreed. But at usual-for-driving-with-kids speeds, I don't see why that would be true if the harness were appropriately sized to fit the passenger. I think that the fact that kids are too small to fit a racing harness is about the only reason I can think that kids shouldn't ride in race cars. Stated otherwise: the danger with race cars is their speed, making the consequences of a crash much larger. We can all agree that there is no need to subject a child to such risks, just as there is no need to subject a child to the risks of high-speed driving on public roads.

 

[rmorrow]

I was just wondering about this... Im in the market for a NSX and would love to drive my 6yr old to school in it every once in a while. She loved my ISF and was sad that I sold my "Fast" car. Honestly I started to consider the 911 Turbo just for the back seats (Small but would work for a small child). For those that use a booster in the front seat on the NSX, what is the best make and model. The boosters we have for our other cars seem wide and may have difficulty fitting properly in the NSX seats

 

[jwmelvin]

This booster seat fits perfectly in the NSX seats.

 

[latzke]

This booster seat fits perfectly in the NSX seats.

That's the one I use in all our cars, bought three of them at Walmart.

 

[EuroBoutique]

This is why everyone has their own opinion on "Parenting".....you do what you want and we will do what we want.

At 6 years old, there is little debate if you want to take kids out in the NSX as I will probably do the same but at 1-3 years old is another story for us. I saw a dad take his kid (dunno how old) on the back of his Harley the other day, my wife just shook her head but this is something I won't do either. Just not worth the risk.

 

[jwmelvin]

At 6 years old, there is little debate if you want to take kids out in the NSX as I will probably do the same but at 1-3 years old is another story for us.

I completely agree--it makes a big difference when kids can fit in shoulder belts with a booster seat. I don't really like how car seats are retained by seat belts (i.e., not using the LATCH system).

 

[Miner]

Here is my little diva. She has a bit to go before she'll be driving her car, but she already knows she wants to drive.

 

[kwinkler]

I don't really like how car seats are retained by seat belts (i.e., not using the LATCH system).

The LATCH system is only designed for a combined (carseat and kiddo) weight of 60 lbs. After 60 lbs, it is actually recommended to use the seatbelt. If you think about, the seatbelt is designed to support adult weights.

I do use the LATCH system out of convenience but have no issues using a seatbelt and did so in our S4 for over 3 years. Seatbelt method was the only way to use the center rear seat.

 

[jwmelvin]

After 60 lbs, it is actually recommended to use the seatbelt.

Don't you use a booster seat at that point? I meant using the seatbelt to hold the car seat in. Definitely strong enough but there are some longer lengths and angles so it's tough to get rid of the elasticity in the system. Maybe that's good (reduce impulse). But for booster seats, I agree the LATCH system is largely irrelevant. The booster I use in the NSX has no retention; it simply raises the child to fit the seatbelt properly.

 

[Brooklynzson]

My daughters be riding in the nsx since about 8-10 months, she's six now. Still falls asleep within 10 mins the same way lol

 

[kwinkler]

Don't you use a booster seat at that point? I meant using the seatbelt to hold the car seat in. Definitely strong enough but there are some longer lengths and angles so it's tough to get rid of the elasticity in the system. Maybe that's good (reduce impulse). But for booster seats, I agree the LATCH system is largely irrelevant. The booster I use in the NSX has no retention; it simply raises the child to fit the seatbelt properly.

That was a combined 60lbs of the child AND car seat. So not just the child weighing 60 lbs. Will depend a lot on the type of car seat. Depending on the state, moving up to a booster can depend on age, height, and/or weight.

I wanted to mention this because there have been multiple threads on Prime with people saying they would only use LATCH and not install a car seat with a seat belt, indicating it was less safe.

I read about this combined weight limit in an article discussing incorrect/improper installation of car seats. It was one rule that few people knew, so I thought I'd pass it along.

 

[jwmelvin]

I read about this combined weight limit in an article discussing incorrect/improper installation of car seats. It was one rule that few people knew, so I thought I'd pass it along.

Definitely good information, thank you. Didn't realize that the LATCH system was more limited in capacity than seatbelts. Fortunately, I no longer have to use carseats.

 

[VancouverBCnsx]

My philosophy is that you need to train kids from a pretty early age!

 

[Dimer]

My 8 yo loves it if I pick him up from school in the NSX. I haven't taken my 3yo in the NSX yet.

Unfortunately it was raining here.

- - - Updated - - -

And yes, sometimes I put him to work too

- - - Updated - - -

The youngest, playing in the track NSX:

 

[Mug]

I was out with my 3 year old daughter for the first time on Saturday. She loved it. This is before we left. She was getting tired of waiting for me to get everything ready. First time putting the booster in the car (towels for seat protection and tether adapter etc.) I wanted to make sure we had the roof (she was worried it would rain or snow) and everything else we might need.



She was giggling the whole time and kept saying, "go faster daddy, faster!". She loved being up in the front seat and able to see everything. Getting her in and out of the booster was a breeze since we don't have to open her door with the top off. No Alaskan girl would be caught dead without their pink camo boots.


And a shot of the car with her out of the way:

 

[EuroBoutique]

Cute pictures! I love how you put them to work, I have my 3 year old help me clean my wheels sometimes since she is at the perfect height.

I wish I can take my kids out in the NSX but since I have aftermarket Bride seats, the car seats do not take well to baby seats so I've regulated most of my baby transport duty to my S4 and R8.

Kids are amazing and it's an absolute joy to share daddy's passion with them, my 19 month old boy loves being in the front seat of the R8. We were at a local car meet over the weekend and he had a blast. He seems to prefer black GTR's but at least he has good taste in wheels



My daughter on Friday's gets to ride in daddy's toy: