When planning for the birth of your child, you should also plan how you will be transporting your baby around.  Your convertible sports car or your old banger may not be the safest option; after all, safety is paramount.  When your baby is strapped into their baby seat, you should have confidence that if the worst should happen, your baby will be kept out of harm’s way.  This guide, from moneysupermarket.com lists some of the safest family cars on the market, and also gives some advice on baby seats…
 

Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra is one of the safest cars out there on the market for families.  This 5 door, 1.6lr engine car is one of the safest family cars. Despite being relatively small there is amble room within the vehicle for everything that you will need to carry, including plenty off boot space for a pram.  Euro NCAP (independent assessors of European cars) scored the Astra well in impact tests, whether it is from the front, the side, or from the back- where a child is most likely to sit.   The Astra also has a pedal release function which protects the driver’s feet if the car were to be involved in a head-on crash or collision.  The breaking and traction is great too, meaning that you can feel more confident in the driver’s seat.

Citroen C4

The C4 is also one of the safest cars on the market.  Euro NCAP gave the C4 the maximum award it can get for safety- five stars.  The C4 has 6 airbags, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Electronic Braking Assistance (EBA), as well as an electronic stability programme. One stand-out feature of the C4 is its cornering light system.  This helps to improve visibility when going around corners and bends and will help with accuracy when driving in tight spots.  The C4 also has a speed-limiter, which limits the top speed of your Citroen meaning you will drive at a reasonable, safety conscious speed. Citroen are already planning to go one further when it comes to safety in their next model.  The release date for the newest C4 will be early 2011- so consider this car if you’ve recently found out you’re expecting!

Honda CR-Z

The Honda CR-Z is another car that scored 5 stars from Euro NCAP.  The CR-Z has VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) which makes it easier to control acceleration, sudden maneuvers and cornering, making the driver feel at ease when things get a bit tricky.   As well as normal airbags in the front and along the sides, there are also full-length airbags to protect every seat in the car- so you know your baby will have some protection. This model scored one of the best scores in terms of pedestrian safety.  The bumper has been designed to increase the likelihood of survival if a person is hit by your car.  Unfortunately there isn’t that much room in the back of the car for baby seats, so if you’ve got more than 2 small children or multiples this may be something to consider. The Honda is a 3 door hatchback too; meaning that mums and dads may have difficulty getting in and out of the back of the car if you have more than one child.

Renault Laguna

The Laguna was the first car to get 5 stars from Euro NCAP for its safety features, and is recognised as one of the safest family cars on the market. As well as standard airbag features, the Laguna also has a radar system which flashes when you’re getting too close to another vehicle- or when someone is getting too close to you.  The brake-by-wire system also makes the car safer by making it easier to stop.  As soon as you lift your foot from the throttle the system applies the anchor meaning you will have shorter stop-times. A more sensitive system helps the driver to feel the bite easier, making it a more comfortable drive.

Baby Seats

When considering a new car, it’s important for those with children (especially those with more than two) to do some research into how well a baby seat will fit in the back of your car.  All children should have a car seat up until they’re around 12 years of age, so it’s important that your car can support them.  Here are some features you should look for when choosing a car…

• Flat seat-bottom cushions.  Look for the flattest seat bottoms you can find; this makes it easier to get the baby seat secure and level. Some sports cars have contoured seats which will make baby seats less stable and secure.
• Take your baby seat with you when looking for cars.  This is important as you need to look at seatbelt placement.  You need to know if the seatbelts of the new car are compatible with your child seat, and it is ideal to test them out first. This will also give you an idea of how many car seats you’ll be able to fit in the car if you have more than one child, or twins or multiples.
• Consider ease of access. You don’t want to put your back out every time you put your child into its car seat.  See how far the doors open, and look for front seats which can slide forward enough to give you enough room for maneuvers.

A family car guide, by Rachael Miller (moneysupermarket.com)