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Not disagreeing but in Japan a lot of families handle this with Kei format cars like Daihatsu Tanto. The biggest family car I see in Japan is Toyota Alphard/Vel

Not disagreeing but in Japan a lot of families handle this with Kei format cars like Daihatsu Tanto. The biggest family car I see in Japan is Toyota Alphard/Vellfire.

iguy 8y ago
Do you know how Japanese norms/laws around child car seats differ? I feel this is part of what's changed in the US: the 70s station wagon worked for 3-4 kids in a row, but to fit 4 enormous small-person seats you need a minivan.
- nihonde 8y ago
  The Japanese equivalent is four grandparents in wheelchairs. (Kidding!) I don’t have kids, so I’m not sure about child seats. I was doing the mental math on how one couple could produce four kids who need child seats until I remembered twins, triplets, etc.
  - jellicle 8y ago
    Kids are required to be in car seats until age 8 in most states.
    - beatgammit 8y ago
      Yup. If you have a child ever other year (pretty reasonable) and have four kids, the oldest will still be in a booster when the fourth is born. We have two kids (oldest is four and still in a booster) and we're considering a third, which is also making us seriously consider a larger car. We'll either need a larger car or a smaller car seat because we cannot currently fit three seats in our sedan (or at least, I don't think we can).
    - nihonde 8y ago
      I looked it up. It’s the same in Japan. As someone who grew up crawling around in the footwell of a VW Bug at highway speeds, that sounds both exceedingly prudent and a bit unrealistic. You can definitely fit four car seats in an Alphard because it’s a full sized minivan. The kei cars are legally limited to driver plus three passengers anyway, I think.
- laurieg 8y ago
  In Japan it is common to see children walking around inside a car while it is being driven. Seat belts and child seats are seen as optional by some. Kei cars only seat 4 people, but people do squeeze 5 in on occasion, especially when it comes to kids.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  Or buy a 4 child seat. https://multimac.co.uk/p/multimac_1320_4_seater https://multimac.co.uk/p/multimac_1320_4_seater
kalleboo 8y ago
Kei cars are also surprisingly roomy inside. I'm 194cm tall, and I fit better in a Suzuki Alto then in the old Volvo 740 (there was a dark spot in the cloth ceiling of our family Volvo where my dad and my heads would rub against it). Of course the sacrifice is the complete removal of crumple zones...
- nihonde 8y ago
  But if everyone drives lightweight cars, the need for crumple zones is probably greatly diminished, right?

Not disagreeing but in Japan a lot of families handle this with Kei format cars like Daihatsu Tanto. The biggest family car I see in Japan is Toyota Alphard/Vellfire.

iguy 8y ago

Do you know how Japanese norms/laws around child car seats differ? I feel this is part of what's changed in the US: the 70s station wagon worked for 3-4 kids in a row, but to fit 4 enormous small-person seats you need a minivan.

nihonde 8y ago
The Japanese equivalent is four grandparents in wheelchairs. (Kidding!) I don’t have kids, so I’m not sure about child seats. I was doing the mental math on how one couple could produce four kids who need child seats until I remembered twins, triplets, etc.
- jellicle 8y ago
  Kids are required to be in car seats until age 8 in most states.
  - beatgammit 8y ago
    Yup. If you have a child ever other year (pretty reasonable) and have four kids, the oldest will still be in a booster when the fourth is born. We have two kids (oldest is four and still in a booster) and we're considering a third, which is also making us seriously consider a larger car. We'll either need a larger car or a smaller car seat because we cannot currently fit three seats in our sedan (or at least, I don't think we can).
  - nihonde 8y ago
    I looked it up. It’s the same in Japan. As someone who grew up crawling around in the footwell of a VW Bug at highway speeds, that sounds both exceedingly prudent and a bit unrealistic. You can definitely fit four car seats in an Alphard because it’s a full sized minivan. The kei cars are legally limited to driver plus three passengers anyway, I think.
laurieg 8y ago
In Japan it is common to see children walking around inside a car while it is being driven. Seat belts and child seats are seen as optional by some. Kei cars only seat 4 people, but people do squeeze 5 in on occasion, especially when it comes to kids.
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
Or buy a 4 child seat. https://multimac.co.uk/p/multimac_1320_4_seater https://multimac.co.uk/p/multimac_1320_4_seater

kalleboo 8y ago

Kei cars are also surprisingly roomy inside. I'm 194cm tall, and I fit better in a Suzuki Alto then in the old Volvo 740 (there was a dark spot in the cloth ceiling of our family Volvo where my dad and my heads would rub against it). Of course the sacrifice is the complete removal of crumple zones...

nihonde 8y ago
But if everyone drives lightweight cars, the need for crumple zones is probably greatly diminished, right?