It is the same as the safest seat in a minivan: the middle seat in the second row. If there is no middle seat (as some minivans have only captains’ chairs there), The Auto Professor believes that behind the right front passenger is safer.

Front seatbacks have been known to collapse in rear impacts, which puts the person behind that seat at risk. Most of the time, the right front passenger seat is empty, so there is no chance of that seatback collapsing. If that seat is empty, it is better for a car seat to be behind that seat.