4 Kids And 2 Adults In A 2003 Dodge Ram?

I think you should go to the nearest fire station and ask them. They pull dead babies out of cars. They can tell your man if he's right, or not.

I personally think a four door pickup in which the windshield is the major roof support isn't safe to ride in.

Are you using the "H" clip that comes with every child's car seat? It is designed for what you are addressing, if you install it correctly.

The booster seat up front will be a problem. This will be illegal in most states and is very dangerous! If you can afford a 4 door pick up then you can afford a minivan. Screw how it looks and think of the safety of your family.

I do agree with going to your local firehouse for help but here in NJ our state police have an excellent training officer who gives classes on properly installing a child's car seat.

Look here:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_installing-a-car-seat_9458.bc

Sounds like you could use a minivan. The Dodge Ram did not do well in IIHS side impact tests recently (worse than many small cars, in fact) even with side air bags, which your truck may not have. Trading for a minivan would get you a safer vehicle.

Definitely keep kids out of the front seat, and make sure all child seats are very well secured. As others have suggested, state police, fire station, local police are good sources for help.

Is there an air bag in the center front?

My Ford F350 2003 Crew Cab did not have one there.

It was licensed for 6 passengers. Never tried any car seats or booster seats though. More business related use. 5 was really comfortable.

While we're on the subject... My children are no longer in safety seats, but are in boosters now.

When they were in car seats I couldn't understand why this "latch system" (some hooks which latch into a "D" ring hidden between the bottom and back of the vehicle seat) didn't use some sort of ratchet mechanism for tensioning instead of wrestling with a crude buckle.

I understand expense may be a part of it, but you can purchase ratchet straps that will secure a bulldozer for around $12.00 a piece (an example)... So the expense certainly couldn't be that great. Also, I remember watching a documentary on aerobatic pilots, they had some sort of ratcheting mechanism on their seat belts...

Seat-belts don't save lives. Before you get irate hear me out. Not getting into accidents saves lives, preventative. Seat-belts help to mitigate the damage of an accident, after the fact.

As a kid and learning to drive seat-belts were optional. You do something stupid you get hurt or dead and or someone else hurt or dead.

The last wreck I saw (this year) they both died, no seatbelt could have saved them. The largest part of the car left was the transaxil and it landed on the other side of the freeway in the middle lane. Very high rate of speed in traffic, no other cars involved, they lost control for what ever reason. My guess is they died from someone not seeing them flying up the road and tried to maneuver, from hitting someone, faster than the car and drivers abilities. The point is being situationally aware will save more lives than midigating the results of error. Yes the back up is nice but not needing it is better.

As a motorcyclist, I totally agree. You never see the value of defensive driving until you are out there with no protection.

I am avid about wearing a seatbelt, however. You never know what the other guy is going to do!

The F350 was just written off.

Blind intersection. Lady in 70's confused, lost, late for a doctor's appointment, didn't even see the light and runs the red at 50+ clicks in a Jeep. Hits the front end of the F350 front R wheel, spins around and hits back wheel of truck. It took out the suspension of the truck, lots of body damage. Jeep a total write off. Jaws of life to cut her out, she is able to walk once out. Personal injury to passengers in truck, seat belt bruises, bruised R shoulder of passenger, minor stiff necks.

Insurance investigators said occupants lucky the were not in a Honda Civic, Jeep would have gone in one side and out the other.

Shear mass and seat belts and air bags saved lives.

Here we have illegal alien Mexicans. No licence, no insurance, can't read the language and they beat the immigration agents back when deported. Don't need a blind corner, the idiots who's piss poor planning creates the blind corners are putting in round-abouts all over the place. Now all the old farmers and illegal aliens make them worse than any blind corner.

My question is why is she driving? She is lucky she didn't kill a whole family. Our community loses someone every few months to the highway at two lights that give us access. Most notable was a Sheriff and a few months ago two brothers. My Dad driving my pickup was hit by an Illegal there (don't think the cops even deported him). The transportation system is all about money not fixing issues.

I still stand by seat belts being a post accident fix that is done wrong. Real restraints are illegal in passenger cars while seat-belts are mandated. Why? My guess is who gets the money.

That's an interesting side discussion UV. When do we stop driving? In the city it wouldn't be too difficult with abundant public transportation. In the rural areas it would be difficult to even get to the grocery store.

My family has recently been trying to persuade a grandfather to give up the keys. It's by no means an easy task. I watched as he smashed into a dumpster. Who moved the dumpster, he says!

Regardless, I'll drive defensively and strap everyone in...just in case!

When I lived in Portland Oregon I could ride the electric trains everywhere but work. Now the Tram goes with in a few blocks of there.

The downfall of public transportation in the states, if I remember correctly, can be followed back to GM, Uncial, and BF-Goodrich. They Bought out all the non bus public transportation and replaced them with buses. Supposedly so they could sell gas, tires, and buses. But then they bankrupted them all out. My opinion is personal cars used much more of these items.

GM when to California with their hat in their hand begging for money to develop cars that would pass the upcoming stricter emissions. California agreed to if GM would replace all of the public transportation they destroyed. GM walked out knowing the cost to replace the public transportation was many many times what they were begging for.

I have no sympathy for the U.S.'s car companies. Made to fail cars. Anyone comes along with a better car they squash them. They don't care a bit for the people driving them just their money. We taught the rest of the world to build cars made to fail.

I don't think I'll ever buy another new car. Other than my time, parts to rebuild it right are cheaper, safer and easier to repair. Every time I work on my Pickup I cuss the designer, engineer and bean counter who took a good idea and made it damn near impossible to fix something that should be easy.

Brad

If you haven't already read it, you would be interested in "the Truth About Automobiles." Look it up on google books, it free in full text. The author has a lot to say about GM and the demise of the interurban railroad and all sorts of public transportation.

No never read it, most of my research was original when I found some information the piqued my interest. Big business has many skeletons to answer for.

I'll check it out.

Easy. Left side person locks in right persons and right side person locks the belt in to left persons; kid in between!