Photo: mannyfresh210 on Reddit
The world of two-seater sportscars and supercars suddenly becomes a fragile universe with a vicious climate when a child appears in one’s life. Nevertheless, there are certain fathers who decide the number one priority in such cases is to let the little ones ride in their hyper-powered machines and we’re here to discuss such an example.
We’re referring to the Audi R8 in the pic above, which clearly shows a child seat mounted next to the driver’s one. The photo showed up on Reddit and its case seems to follow the typical tradition - whenever people spot a two-seater with a child seat, a debate will arise. Some will call the driver irresponsible, while other will admire the way in which he is car-educating his offspring.
Some of these laws, such as the ones in the UK, do recommend placing the passenger seat as further away from the dashboard as possible, so that a possible airbag deployment would not affect the little one.
Actually, this is the main safety concern - airbags weren’t designed to protect children. This is the prime reason for which the little ones usually have to ride in the back, aside from the fact that such a position usually brings superior safety on its own.
However, most modern cars have a seat sensor that deactivates the airbag when the detected weight is below a certain threshold. Many cars also have a passenger airbag deactivation mode.
In the case of the R8, the passenger airbag can be deactivated, while the Isofix mounts allow a child seat to be mounted.
The bottom line is that the driver should ensure the passenger airbag is off before setting off. Not dipping into the full potential of the engine is also a good idea.
Is it safe?
Well, the answer is not that simple, even though most aspects point to a “yes”. First of all, legislation in most countries doesn’t specifically forbid placing a child seat inside a car that only has two seats.Some of these laws, such as the ones in the UK, do recommend placing the passenger seat as further away from the dashboard as possible, so that a possible airbag deployment would not affect the little one.
Actually, this is the main safety concern - airbags weren’t designed to protect children. This is the prime reason for which the little ones usually have to ride in the back, aside from the fact that such a position usually brings superior safety on its own.
However, most modern cars have a seat sensor that deactivates the airbag when the detected weight is below a certain threshold. Many cars also have a passenger airbag deactivation mode.
In the case of the R8, the passenger airbag can be deactivated, while the Isofix mounts allow a child seat to be mounted.
The bottom line is that the driver should ensure the passenger airbag is off before setting off. Not dipping into the full potential of the engine is also a good idea.
Google News