[afettere]

If all goes well, I'll be a father this fall around Halloween.

I'm fighting hard not to lose the Elise to a car my wife finds more practical. With that in mind, does anyone have info on whether the front seat is compatible with baby seats? Not that I plan on making this the primary baby mover, but it would be nice to know if it were an option.

 

[Feffman]

Afettere:

Not sure if the Elise will have a passenger side airbag but on the Esprit I disconnect it so the kids are safe just in case.

Mark

 

[zvezdah1]

AFIK, The elise does have a passenger side airbag.

Chris

 

[theob]

As soon as I'll check my manual again, I'll give you the answer on that! It states somewhere that the car is NOT for infants, but I still have to check back for more details....

BR,
Theo

 

[OneFastLotus]

Miatas also have a warning on them not to carry infants in car seats.

 

[Ruediger]

If all goes well, I'll be a father this fall around Halloween.

I'm fighting hard not to lose the Elise to a car my wife finds more practical. With that in mind, does anyone have info on whether the front seat is compatible with baby seats? Not that I plan on making this the primary baby mover, but it would be nice to know if it were an option.

Perhaps you better should try to get a 3- seat roadster.

Here you see one --only needing some better styling.

http://www.aeonsportscars.com

To modify the Elise chassis into this direction should not be too difficult for an engineering company as Lotus used to be in for former times. But since they belong to Proton ---?

 

[shinoo]

Congrats on Fatherhood!

I've got 3 little girls, two of which are still in car seats. I sold my 911 when my second child arrived because of praticality considerations (plus I needed cash for a biz I was starting). What a mistake. If your wife drives a practical car then why do you need two practical cars? Use her car when the entire family is going places. If her car needs service, rent a practical car.

Or buy yourself a beater for those seldom times that you need a more practical car. Get the Elise!!!!

Rumor has it that the passenger airbag can be disabled by pulling a fuse. I will be investigating this so that I can take my kids for an occasional ride. Keep in mind that the Elise seats are very narrow. Most of the baby seats are too wide to fit properly. Porsche makes some nice narrow baby seats as does Recaro. In fact their was a picture someplace of a Recaro baby seat fitted in an Elise.

 

[Derek]

If all goes well, I'll be a father this fall around Halloween.

I'm fighting hard not to lose the Elise to a car my wife finds more practical. With that in mind, does anyone have info on whether the front seat is compatible with baby seats? Not that I plan on making this the primary baby mover, but it would be nice to know if it were an option.

You have options (listed from best to worst):

1. Get a cheap 2nd car "baby mover" and the Liz

2. Get an STI and can the Liz idea.

3. Get the Liz and can the wife idea.

 

[theob]

Get the Elise no matter what!

You'll never regret this buy!


BR,
Theo

 

[Cale]

I have the same problem with the passenger airbag. My '93 MR2 was the last year for drivers only airbag and I have used it liberally for child hauling for the past 8.5 years. Kids should be in child seats until about 80 lbs, and not exposed to the risk of airbag deployment until they are 12 year old (per NHTSA).

From NHTSA:

What if you have no alternative except putting a child in front?
If there is no room in back, a child over age one may have to ride in the front seat. Here's how to reduce the risk:

Make sure the child is correctly buckled up with the vehicle seat moved as far back as possible. A toddler/preschooler should use a forward-facing child safety seat; an older child should use a belt-positioning booster or lap/shoulder belt.
Fasten the harness or lap/shoulder belt securely.
Make sure an older child does not slip out of the shoulder belt or lean toward the dashboard.
Vehicle owners and lessees can obtain an on-off switch for one or both of their air bags only if they can certify that they are, or a user of their vehicle is, in one of the four risk groups: infants in rear-facing infant seats, drivers or passengers with unusual medical or physical conditions, children ages 1 to 12, or drivers who cannot get back 10 inches from the air bag cover. To be considered eligible for an on-off switch, a NHTSA request form must be filled out and returned to NHTSA. Forms are available from state motor vehicle offices and may be available from automobile dealerships and repair facilities. Forms can also be requested by contacting NHTSA's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT or visiting the NHTSA Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

I personally would use 100 lbs as a rough rule of when to place a child in the front passengers seat if they are near 12 y/o. 100 lbs might come at 8 y/o or 14y/o depending on the child. I may pursue the shut off switch route if the fuse removal does not deactivate both air bags. Hope you can find some answers Shinoo. It is likely that these airbags are the Depowered kind, which are a lot safer for kids. We also are unable to move the passenger seat back and I hope that it is placed back as far as possible.

 

[Vantage]

Just a further note on Shinoo's reference to the Porsche baby seat: if you like the design, Mercedes sells the same seat, but at a lower price through their dealer network (I'm told). However, if you have a Porsche, it is still wise to get their unit, because it includes their baby smart system to deactivate the airbag.

In either case, be careful not to give the little ones motion sickness!

 

[shinoo]

Cale,

Thx for the excellent info. I suspect that since the passenger seat is fixed in the rear most position it will be unlikely that a deployed airbag will actually reach a small child. Though I will not place my kids in the Elise unless I can disable the bag.

One of my friends is a recognized expert on air-bags. I'll check with him to see what he knows about the system in the Elise.

I will also ask Lotus during my factory tour next week.

 

[Hans Stuck]

As soon as I'll check my manual again, I'll give you the answer on that! It states somewhere that the car is NOT for infants, but I still have to check back for more details....

BR,
Theo

It is NOT for infants, but it is clearly for men (and women) who have the maturity of infants!

 

[nickt]

Can someone explain to me why the Elise won't have 'advanced airbags' as defined by the NHTSA here:

http://www.nhtsa.org/airbags/advancedairbag/AdvancedairbagQ-n-A.htm

Advanced Airbags turn themselves off when a child is in the passenger seat. Seems that for the 2004 model year 20% of a manufacturer's vehicles need to have them, rising to 65% for a 2005 model.

I have not heard either of the Elise having this type of airbag or Lotus requesting or receiving a waiver. Anyone know the story?

 

[theob]

If all goes well, I'll be a father this fall around Halloween.

I'm fighting hard not to lose the Elise to a car my wife finds more practical. With that in mind, does anyone have info on whether the front seat is compatible with baby seats? Not that I plan on making this the primary baby mover, but it would be nice to know if it were an option.

I just copy what the EU manual says about:

Child restraints:
Lotus recommends that children are not carried in the Elise/Exige. Accident statistics show that children are safer when properly restrained in the back seats of cars, an option unavailable on these models.
If nevertheless, a child is to be carried in the car, the following notes are provided for guidance:

Warning: Children who are not properly restrained can be seriously injured or killed in an accident. Any child who is too small to use the standard seat belt should be properly restrained in a suitable child seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with the seat belt.

Infants: Infants who area unable to sit up by themselves, unsupported, should NOT be carried in the Elise/Exige.

Small children: A child who can sit up without support, should be restrained in a suitably sized child seat. It is the vehicle user's responsibility to ensure tha tthe child seat is a satisfactory fir in the passenger seat, using guidance provided by the child seat manufacturer. The fitting instructions issued by the child seat manufacturer muct be followed strictly.

Larger childern: When a child becomes of a physical size whereby the standard fitment lap and diagonal seat belt will fit satisfactorily, with the belt positioned over the colar bone and against the center of the chest, this belt then should be used. If the belt touches or crosses the chold's neck, a suitable booster seat should be used to allow correct belt positioning. Lotus recommends choosing a style that allows the chol;d to use the lap /shoulder belt directly, without a shield. It the vehicle user's responsibility to ensure that the booster seat is a satisfactory fit inthe passenger seat, using guidance provided by the booster seat manufaturer. The installation instructions issued by the booster seat manufacturer muct be followed strictly.

Behavior: It is essential that the behavior of any child travelling in the car is such that they remain correctly seated and belted, and it is the responsibilit of the driver to ensure that this occurs.
Note that most child restraint systems are designed to be secured in the vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, and that children could be endangered in a crash if their child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle.

That's all folks about Elise/Exige and carrying kids with it.

Now, since I live in Greece, and the 111R doesn't come with airbags, here, I assume that you'll be provided with extra info regarding passenger's airbag de-activation.

BR,
Theo

 

[frayed]

Cale,

Thx for the excellent info. I suspect that since the passenger seat is fixed in the rear most position it will be unlikely that a deployed airbag will actually reach a small child. Though I will not place my kids in the Elise unless I can disable the bag.

One of my friends is a recognized expert on air-bags. I'll check with him to see what he knows about the system in the Elise.

I will also ask Lotus during my factory tour next week.

Shinoo, any further info?

 

[Racer X]

I am interested too. My wife I ordered the car many months before she became pregnant. Now we are expecting a baby about the same time as the car. I will gladly disable both airbags, in order to be able to carry the baby, in a pinch.


I remember riding around in the front seat of a VW Beetle.... standing up. Times have certainly changed.

Greg

 

[frayed]

I remember riding around in the front seat of a VW Beatle.... standing up. Times have certainly changed.

Yes indeed.

 

[TripleBlack_NJ]

I have two kids under 5. An airbag switch will be my first mod.

 

[shinoo]

Shinoo, any further info?

Nothing definitive. My friend suggested disconnecting the airbag and putting a 2 ohm resistor in its place to 'fool' the airbag light. He was not familiar with the Elise system but is checking into it.