Just my 2p's worth Scottie - I now have a 4 yr old and we're on our 3rd car seat with him. There is a opinion among all the 'car seat experts' I've found (eg retailers who sell nothing but child seats) that even de-activated airbags are a risk to front mounted rear-facing seats, as the airbag is still there and could go off anyway if an accident happened. Their only advice was to have the bag removed totally. They even advised me not to put the front-facing seats in the front of the car with an airbag as the seats place them that much closer to the bag (higher up and typically with both legs sticking out in front at airbag height) that they would take a major impact in the case of an accident - particularly on the legs.
Also, make sure you see a specialist retailer who sees the seat in your car(s) as many seatbelt buckles do not work safely with many seat designs. It's hard to explain without looking at a seat, but no part of the plastic buckle must touch the seat itself when fully tighted - many buckles are mounted on short extenders that make them easier to reach but it means that when they are pulled tight, the plastic buckle pushes on the seat, and for reasons i cant remember, this is not safe. My several Vauxhalls and Honda all had this problem. Its a simple job to fit a new buckle and our local centre charges only a few £'s for the buckle and fits it for free with any seat purchased. A small price for absolute safety for your new child.
Good luck with the new arrival.
2003 A2 1.4 Tdi SE, Silver, CD, Climate
"Your past is not your potential" Unknown
