One of the most versatile off-road vehicles available today is the Jeep Wrangler. However, according to some owners and experts in the field, it is likely to fall short in others. Wranglers are essentially offroad vehicles designed primarily for adventure lovers. With this information, it is pertinent to ask, are Jeep Wranglers safe for babies with this information?
The Jeep Wrangler is a multi-terrain vehicle for extreme driving activities, so it is not the safest option for babies. In addition, the Jeep has rear seats that are fairly compact in size and not ideal for all large child safety seats available today.
Jeeps can take us almost anywhere we want to go, but if you have children, you are not likely to go many places with your children in the Jeep. Although if you take special safety precautions, the Jeep could be a family vehicle. Continue reading this article to learn more about Jeep Wrangler and baby safety.
Is Safety A Weakness Of The Jeep Wrangler?
When looking for a vehicle that is ideal for extreme sports, the Jeep Wrangler is the vehicle that will provide a unique experience in that regard. While off-road power and luxury features are a strategic selling point for many cars, safety remains critical for most buyers.
This feature is precisely where the Jeep Wrangler seems to have its weakest point. You can find an exciting contrast between European countries and Australia. These countries invest many hours and resources in testing the vehicles they produce. Still, in the United States, tests show that there should be much more crash and safety testing than is currently done.
There is no doubt that Jeep is one of the most recognized vehicles in the automotive world. The problem is that it has one of the lowest safety ratings. You can find an example of this in the model that Jeep launched in 2018.
At that time, the Euro NCAP published a report on the safety ratings of this vehicle. According to this report, the Jeep Wrangler could only obtain one star in safety. The Euro NCAP parameters state that a one-star rating means that the vehicle offers a low level of protection to its occupants in the event of a crash. This performance is relatively poor compared to other cars that received five stars in security, such as Volvo, BMW, or Audi.
Are Jeep Wranglers Safe For Babies And Families?
We all know that accidents can happen at any time and unexpectedly. Some accidents are preventable, while others are not. It isn’t easy to be aware in advance of these unpredictable situations. Still, if the accident has to do with our vehicle, it is best to have a model that has safety features that give us some extra chance of survival.
Since the Jeep Wrangler does not stand out in terms of safety attributes as other brands, it should not be the first choice for carrying babies in a family car. However, it is essential to note that, although the Wrangler does not have the most advanced technology in terms of safety, it is not an entirely unsafe vehicle.
People who are evaluating the purchase of a Jeep Wrangler should be clear about the primary purpose of this vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler’s primary mission is not safety; its mission is to offer a unique off-road experience.
Since 2019 Jeep has significantly improved the safety of the vehicle. You can observe these improvements in new features such as traction control, anti-roll system, and front tow hooks. The Wrangler also has driver and passenger airbags, a brake assist system, a side airbag, electronic stability control, four-wheel disc brakes, and four-wheel ABS.
In the latest Jeep Wrangler tests, we can see improved safety ratings. For example, the vehicle received three stars in rollover protection and four stars in a frontal crash.
A Jeep Wrangler is a car that we can use without reservations in extreme adventure activities, a function that we cannot get from a family car. The Jeep has a beautiful appearance that undoubtedly attracts children’s attention. So your child may ask you to take him to school in the Jeep, but you must take all safety precautions.
Statistics show that in an accident in a Jeep Wrangler, the driver’s chances of survival are pretty high. However, this high probability does not extend to the passengers in the back. An essential aspect of being aware is that the rear seats do not easily accommodate child or baby car seats or strollers.
An important point to remember is that Jeep Wranglers are used to crossing rocky and impossible terrain, so you should drive it slowly and steadily. We should not expect a Jeep to cross a rocky terrain at 160 kilometers per hour because it will not do it without rolling over. This information allows us to conclude that the Jeep’s performance on the highway is unsurpassed. Still, it will be a slow car on the highways, and it is not the ideal vehicle for high-speed cornering.
Another aspect to consider shows that a Jeep is not the best vehicle for carrying babies or children. This aspect is that most of its safety features only benefit the driver and front passenger. The front occupants will be secure in a frontal crash; however, the same is not valid for the rear passengers and side crashes.
Can The Jeep Wrangler Be Easily Flipped?
Jeep Wranglers have a higher rollover rate than other vehicles, but it makes sense if you look at it logically. The Wrangler is one of the most popular off-road cars out there, and the reality is that off-road is where most rollovers occur. When you drive an off-road vehicle, the risk of rollover is always much higher than other types of vehicles.
The short wheelbase of the Jeep can make the off-road vehicle more prone to rollover on the road if you accelerate in a curve at high speed. The reason for these rollovers is often due to the driver mistaking the true purpose of the Jeep Wrangler. We cannot drive a Wrangler as if it were a Formula One car; Jeep’s primary function is to cross rough and impossible terrain slowly.
Because of these factors, the Jeep designers prepared it with roll bars or cages if this type of accident occurs. However, we must be clear that rollover is a latent possibility in the off-road experience. It is also very possible to drive the Jeep on the road at high speeds.
Are There Other Safety Risks Related To Babies And Children?
We checked the risks of carrying babies and children in the Jeep Wrangler. But apart, there are other latent risks for these little ones that we will see below.
Heatstroke
Heatstroke is one of the main factors that can cause the death of an infant in a car. Statistics show that it is the leading cause of death of children under 14 years of age in vehicles.
Every car can heat up suddenly, no matter what time of the year it is. This fact tells us that you should never leave a child alone in an unattended car, no matter how short a stop you make, even if the windows are open.
You should also make sure not to leave the car keys in a place accessible to children. An unsupervised child in a vehicle risks death or injury.
Getting Entangled In The Seat Belt
When a child is alone in a car, they can quickly become bored. The child will reach for anything handy to distract them, and among those things is the seat belt.
One of the most common situations in these cases is that of children repeatedly pulling the seat belt to its maximum elongation. This fact sometimes results in the retractor locking and the belt accidentally wrapping around the child’s head and neck. Seat belts are not toys, and in this way, you should let them be known, and you should fasten and lock all unused seat belts to avoid any temptation for the child to grab them.
A Final Thought On The Safety Of Children In Jeep Wranglers
When you think about a family car for your family and babies, the Jeep Wrangler should not be your first choice. This statement is simply because the Wrangler is not a family car. Its purpose as a vehicle is to develop its full potential in the extreme off-road experience. However, an eventual family outing in a Jeep is possible if all the necessary safety aspects are taken into consideration to safeguard everyone’s well-being.
