# Front seat with no airbag?



## Peachthief

Right now "my" car is a 98 Ford Ranger pickup, which has airbags, but allows you to turn off the passenger side front airbag. Is this safe for a rear facing infant carseat? Are there other safety concerns besides the airbag, or can a child be harmed by the driver's airbag? I am thinking this would be a good setup for a mama and one baby, because it would make it easier to interact with the baby while getting in or out/stopped at a red light or whatever. DH's car is a sedan which would be better for when we all go someplace. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Sarah


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## Adventuredad

I have to laugh about this.







We just had a very long discussion about this. You will find it here. Especially read the last two posts where I post plenty of references to why it's safe and also explain why.

To sum it up, rear facing WITHOUT AIRBAG in the front is as safe or safer than rear facing in rear seat. As you will notice, most people don't know this and also refuse to believe it despite all kinds of safety stats and recommendations from well respected companies.

Among car seat researchers this issue is not even discussed any longer. It has been proven over and over again to be very safe. In my references you'll notice manufacturers such as Volvo, Britax, BeSafe, and the highest regarded crash test institute (VTI) all saying it's as safe as the rear seat without airbag.


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## Brilliantmama

I sounds fine but make sure the airbag is off and the baby is in the outbound side (to prevent the driver's airbag from any possible contact.)

My niece rides RFing in a no-airbag pickup and I feel she is very safe, mostly due to the fact that she is still RFing.


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## Tizzy

I'll have to check out the previous discussion.
But you're right, my truck does not have airbags and it's great having the kids in the front seat with me. When DS1 was little, he'd be in the middle and I could easily tend to him while driving. Easier getting them in and out, buckled in etc.
I'll be pretty sad when we take it off the road.

And it kind of sucks if we need to use it as a family - DH will take one child in one vehicle and I'll take the other in another vehicle lol!


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## an_aurora

In a truck you have no other option, so yes it's safe in that particular vehicle. That said, the backseat is always the safest. No matter what random people imply







.


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## BeckC

:

If you can turn off the airbag (not a sensor but actually turning them off), then yes, using a rear facing seat in the front seat is safe and acceptable to do if you have no other option. The backseat is always safER if that's an option and it's been proven by actual real properly done studies.


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## Adventuredad

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
In a truck you have no other option, so yes it's safe in that particular vehicle. That said, the backseat is always the safest. No matter what random people imply







.

Rear facing a car seat in front seat with airbag disabled is very safe. It's been proven as safe over and over again. Among people who work with this it's not an issue.

I've given you many sources of unbiased research and statistics which say rear facing a child in front seat with airbag disabled is as safe as the rear. You've provided nothing. I've mentioned world class companies knows for safety such as Britax and Volvo together with many other sources. I can give you many more if you desire. Let me guess, you don't trust Britax or anyone else.

You must have misunderstood sources earlier so I'm providing the same sources here again. If you don't trust my conclusions in English there are plenty of tools available to get a translation of a foreign language.

*From Britax:*

Statens Väg och Transportforsknings Institut (VTI) och Nationalföreningen för
Trafiksäkerhetens Främjande (NTF) utför krocktester och granskar svårt krockade bilar.
De anser att en bilbarnstol som placeras bakåtvänd i framsätet har en bra placering.
Man har då kontroll över barnet under färden.

*From Folksam (large insurance company very involved in car seat research*

Sätt barnet bakåtvänt
Risken att små barn dödas eller skadas svårt är 5 gånger större i framåtvända stolar än i bakåtvända. Det visar både vår egen och andras forskning. Säkrast är att åka bakåtvänt i framsätet med urkopplad krockkudde.

*From VTI (Crash test institute)
*

Ur krocksäkerhetssynpunkt finns flera fördelar att ha barnet i framsäte utan krockkudde. Skaderisken är något lägre vid en frontalkrock om barnet sitter i en bakåtvänd stol lutad mot instrumentpanelen, jämfört med en bakåtvänd bilbarnstol i baksätet lutad mot framstolens ryggstöd.

*From BeSafe (well respected car seat manufacturer in Europe)*

Placeringen av bilbarnstol i främre eller bakre passagerarsätet är likvärdig ur krocksäkerhetssynpunkt. Däremot medger framsätet oftast större benutrymme, vilket gör att barn kan åka bakåtvänt högre upp i åldern.

*From Vägverket (NHTSA over here)*

Ska barn sitta i framsätet eller baksätet?
Baksätet är som regel säkrast - om man bara ser till riskerna vid en krock. Men det gäller inte för barn i bakåtvända bilbarnstolar. Under förutsättning att passagerarkrockkudden är avstängd finns ingen skillnad i krocksäkerhet mellan fram- och baksätet.

*From Folksam, Insurance company involved in research*

Var är det säkrast att sitta?
I fram- eller baksätet?
Under förutsättning att krockkudden
är avstängd, är det ingen större skillnad
säkerhetsmässigt mellan fram-
och baksätet.

*From Volvo:*

Var i bilen är det bäst att babyn sitter?
I en Volvo är alla platser lika säkra, det beror mer
på andra omständigheter var du placerar babyn.

*From Vägverket (NHTSA over here):
*
(Newborn to 9 months):

Fram eller Baksätet
Babyskyddet placeras bakåtvänt i fram eller baksätet. För den som är ensam vuxeni bilen är det oftast tryggast att ha det lilla barnet brdvid sig i framsätet. Krockkudden på passagerarplatsen ska då vara urkopplad.

*From VTI: (one of the most respected crash test facilities in the world. Crash testing and advocate of rear facing since 1965)*

När barnet växer ur babyskyddet är det dags att titta på bakåtvända bilbarnstolar. Detta sker vanligen strax före 1 års ålder, i vissa fall kanske redan vid ca 6 månaders ålder. Rent allmänt anses dock placering i framsätet gynna trafiksäkerheten jämfört med att föraren skall försöka kontrollera ett krånglande barn i baksätet.

Since you and others don't speak Swedish, and I don't have time to translate, I can sum up the quotes for you. Rear facing a car seat in the front seat is perfectly safe and often also recommended (airbag disabled).


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## Adventuredad

Quote:

If you can turn off the airbag (not a sensor but actually turning them off), then yes,
That's a good point. I would never trust a sensor but disabling with key, switch, or service location can be trusted.


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## an_aurora

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
Let me guess, you don't trust Britax or anyone else.







:


Nope, I trust NHTSA and Safe Kids


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## MadameXCupcake

We loved having my DD rear facing in the center seat of my DH's pick up.[which we have now sold, needed the money] As heavy as pick ups are we felt it was very safe, much safer than the back of a tiny car. That said we did not have airbags at all to worry about.


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## vbactivist

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
In a truck you have no other option, so yes it's safe in that particular vehicle. That said, the backseat is always the safest. No matter what random people imply







.

I'd love to see stats on this. Because I don't see random people impying anyhthing. Only you...

OT: I hate the eyeroll smiley - it comes across as snarky.


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## an_aurora

Quote:


Originally Posted by *vbactivist* 
I'd love to see stats on this. Because I don't see random people impying anyhthing. Only you...

OT: I hate the eyeroll smiley - it comes across as snarky.

The eyeroll was intended as snark









I posted the stats on one of the other threads about this. Let me dig it up again.


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## fadedgirl

Not an expert on this, but I don't believe a 1998 Ranger has the side rebar/steel enforcements that are now (I think) required. What age is your sedan? This side reinforcement was required on cars a lot earlier than it was required on trucks, in an effort to reduce injury/compartment intrusion when impacted from the side. I'm writing all this from memory of hearing it on the news several years ago.

We keep our daughter in the back seat, center. Not looking at the stats, I can see where NOT center might not make much difference between front or back theoretically. I can't imagine that being on the side of the vehicle could ever be as safe as being in the center of it.


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