# When is it okay to sit in front seat?



## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

My 9yo ds has been bugging me for awhile about this, as it seems like most kids his age are now sitting in the front seat. My SIL has her 7.5yo dd sitting in a booster in the front seat.

I don't feel comfortable with it, and have told him that it's going to be awhile. But, I did promise him I would check and find out what the actual laws/guidelines are.

Any info would be much appreciated.


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## texmati (Oct 19, 2004)

I've been wondering this as well.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

I just did some googling, and it looks like 12-13yo is the age range for allowing a kid to sit up front. I can't figure out if this is law (I don't think so) or just recommendation.

I'm going to go with 13. The fact is that anyone is safer in the backseat, so I'd like to keep my kids there as long as possible. (It's also why I always offer to ride in the backseat when we're with a group and someone else is driving.







)

I kind of cringed when I saw my SIL putting her dd in the front seat last night. She's also the one we got into a row with one time for driving ds1 without a booster when he was 6yo. It's odd - she's super over protective, imo, about stuff like climbing trees. She about freaked when I told her my kids had climbed onto the top shelf of their closet. But she's pretty lax about car safety. I don't really get it.

Anyhow, I'd still love any input the wise carseat mamas here have about front seat safety.


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## ~Charlie's~Angel~ (Mar 17, 2008)

I dont think front seat safety exists for a child. It has nothing to do with age and everything to do with physical development. I just dont think a child of 7.5 or 9 have developed the strength in their neck and spinal column to withstand the air bag when it SMACKS them in the face during any kind of impact. Have you SEEN how forcefully those things come FLYING OUT in even a minor collision? SCARY STUFF! I have heard of grown men being in traction for weeks after being hit with one. Can you imagine what that might do to your DS or DN?


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## StoriesInTheSoil (May 8, 2008)

My step-sister is 13 but because of her tiny size (barely 80 lbs, I don't remember how tall but she's the size of an average 9 year old I think) she doesn't sit in front. I'd say for an average sized child, 12-13 would be when I'd allow it. My 15 year old siblings typically sit in front if there are no other adults and sometimes even if there are- I think it's important for 15 year olds to see things from the front seat to learn how to handle traffic situations as they are close to license age.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Barbie64g* 
I dont think front seat safety exists for a child. It has nothing to do with age and everything to do with physical development. I just dont think a child of 7.5 or 9 have developed the strength in their neck and spinal column to withstand the air bag when it SMACKS them in the face during any kind of impact. Have you SEEN how forcefully those things come FLYING OUT in even a minor collision? SCARY STUFF! I have heard of grown men being in traction for weeks after being hit with one. Can you imagine what that might do to your DS or DN?









Our front air bag has a sensor and it won't come out (supposedly) if a smaller child (or even small adult) is sitting there. That being said, my 13 yo. and 8 yo. still sit in the back seat.


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## SophieAnn (Jun 26, 2007)

The MTO (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario) states that children under 13 are safest in the back seat (http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/saf...t/choose.shtml) so I would use the government guidelines as a minimum, and keep a child in the back seat for at least 13 years.

It must be hard to say no to an under 13 year old who feels grown up and wants to sit in the front seat, and sees their peers sitting in the front seats.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

I haven't come up with a concrete age, but it will be somewhere around 12-13.

Most of my 8 year old's friends and classmates ride in the front while he's in the back in a booster. But he's also tiny. I haven't heard any complaints from him about sitting in the back but I'm sure they'll start soon.


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## ~Charlie's~Angel~ (Mar 17, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *A&A* 
Our front air bag has a sensor and it won't come out (supposedly) if a smaller child (or even small adult) is sitting there. That being said, my 13 yo. and 8 yo. still sit in the back seat.

OK, but what if your 9 year old is 85 pounds? (My SIL was 88 pounds at 8 years old) The sensor is ON, but his neck and spine are STILL only 9 years old.

AND, my car is set up that way too (2007 buick lacrosse). Would I take the chance? NOPE.


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## Mommybree (Jul 27, 2007)

There was research from about 5 years ago that shows that kids under 15 should ride in the backseat because of the risk of injury from the airbag. Here's the link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...ags_teens.html.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

But if you turn off the air bags, aren't you losing a huge part of the safety system?


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Barbie64g* 
OK, but what if your 9 year old is 85 pounds? (My SIL was 88 pounds at 8 years old) The sensor is ON, but his neck and spine are STILL only 9 years old.

AND, my car is set up that way too (2007 buick lacrosse). Would I take the chance? NOPE.

A big nine year old still has typical nine year old bone structure.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *oceanbaby* 
But if you turn off the air bags, aren't you losing a huge part of the safety system?

No, air bags are a supplemental restraint system, which is great for adults, but it's not good for kids, who would get the air bag to the face, at 200 miles per hour.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Barbie64g* 
OK, but what if your 9 year old is 85 pounds? (My SIL was 88 pounds at 8 years old) The sensor is ON, but his neck and spine are STILL only 9 years old.

AND, my car is set up that way too (2007 buick lacrosse). Would I take the chance? NOPE.

It goes by weight. But as I said, I haven't taken that chance, either.


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## onetwoten (Aug 13, 2007)

Most cars have a "safety warning" on the passenger side mirror, that talks about the airbag, and usually they say 12-13 years. I would go by average weight of those ages.

I was in an accident when I was 20, and about 105lbs, well over the limits, and the airbag deployed, as it should have. Yes, it saved my life, but in the process I broke several bones in my hand- from the force of the airbag ramming my hand against my chest-, as well as being left with a concussion, and massive bruising all over my face and breastbone.

I am terrified of airbags to this day. They definately are not cushions, and while they save lives, if i could avoid subjecting my children to that, I would. It was a horrifying experience. It may sound harsh, and obviously this will differ from child to child, but volkswagon put out commericals a few years ago to demonstrate the safety of their vehicle, and it gave an occupants experience of the air bag deplying in an accident. If you have a child who is deadset on being allowed to sit up front, with a mature child, I may consider letting them watch the video. It may help them understand how important it is fro them to be safe and protected inthe back seat, that you're not just being mean.

Oceanbaby-- I think the option to turn off the airbags is for if you have to put someone in the front seat who isn't big enough to be there otherwise. Airbags are very dangerous to children since they don't sit at the right height, and also their bodies simply aren't as developed yet to deal with the impact.


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## AnnieA (Nov 26, 2007)

The current age is 15 years old. Anything under that should be in the back seat. This has more to do with the fact that 12-14 year olds are changing their body shape so rapidly due to puberty and they run the risk of greater injury in an accident than a similarly sized adult. So far, we have only allowed DSS 15 in the front seat and that was after his 15th birthday.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

If airbag is deactivated it's just as safe for a child to sit in front seat. If airbag is active a child should be at least 55 inches to ist in the front seat. Kids in front seat usually play around a lot with their legs which is one reason why an active airbag isn't a good idea for a child.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
If airbag is deactivated it's just as safe for a child to sit in front seat. If airbag is active a child should be at least 55 inches to ist in the front seat. Kids in front seat usually play around a lot with their legs which is one reason why an active airbag isn't a good idea for a child.

In the US, the only vehicles that have keyed switches are ones where there is no backseat, or the backseat is not usable for child restraints (in small trucks, or sports cars, for example). In those instances, there is no other choice of seating locations, so if you have a properly restrained child it has to go up front. But, passenger airbags became standard in the mid-1990's, so any vehicle that does not have a passenger-side air bag is an older vehicle, without the energy-absorbing technology that modern cars have. It would be more dangerous for a (FF) child to be up front in an older vehicle than it would be for the same child to be up front in a modern vehicle (provided we are pretending there is no airbag up front in the modern car).


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## onetwoten (Aug 13, 2007)

It's somewhat besides the point, but I think what some people have been referring to (although my parents do own one of the trucks you speak of) is the fact that some newer vehicles have a "sensor" that automatically turns the airbag off if it detects that there isn't enough weight in the seat. I can't think of one offhand that has it, but I know I've been in rental vehicles with this feature. I don't know how effective it is, honestly.


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## northcountrymamma (Feb 24, 2006)

I'm reading this with interest, not because I want dd to sit up front...but because in our truck she has no other option. Our truck has one of those sensors that turns the airbag off when there isn't enough weight in the seat. However, I'm still freaked out by the situation.

Does anyone have any proof that the airbag is ACTUALLY off when it says it is?

We are looking into a new truck, but for now, this is dp's only vehicle and when he has to pick her up, her only option is the front seat. We take my car whenever we can though as a family.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

I'll let our kids sit up front at 12. In my state, many 15-year-olds are getting their learning permits and I'd like my kids to have several years observing from up front before I stick them behind the wheel.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

The sensors are not very accurate, no. The only way to be sure the air bag is off is to have a keyed switch, but unfortunately they have started phasing those out even in trucks and cars with no usable backseat.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

I agree with Aurora above. It's hard to tell how exact sensors are but I would personally never trust a sensor front seat. Turning an airbag off with key or switch is 100% safe.


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