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where in the car should they sit

27 replies

lindaUK · 12/01/2005 23:49

Can anyone tell me where in the car a five year old is allowed to sit, my son-in-law insits its ok for GD to sit in front seat of the car in her booster seat, this I'm not so sure of as I alway's thought they had to sit in the back of the car until a certain age.

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JanH · 12/01/2005 23:54

She is safer with a booster seat in the front than without one, and it isn't illegal in this country to sit a 5-yr-old in the front, but if there is a shoulder belt for her in the back, she is safest there.

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joash · 12/01/2005 23:55

I believe that as long as they have the right equipment (boosters etc), children can sit in the front.

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lindaUK · 13/01/2005 00:04

Thanks, I will be interested to see the remarks to this question as I feel so guilty when she is in my car because she is screaming to sit in the front with me and when I do this I just feel it isn't right that she is the front of the car, but then again when her dad lets her do it (and her mum ) what can I do, she does have a booster seat and uses it at all times in all our car's.

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Levanna · 13/01/2005 00:05

There is information here about where to put children safely in cars (esp front seats and air bags). Follow other links on the page for further info .

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Levanna · 13/01/2005 00:10

linda, regardless of the law or recommendations, if you feel she is safer in the back (and really, she is) please don't feel guilty about doing what you know is right. The guilt of someting avoidable happening would be far, far worse .

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essbee · 13/01/2005 02:13

Message withdrawn

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KateandtheGirls · 13/01/2005 03:43

In the US they recommend children be in the back of the car till age 13, whether there's an airbag or not. The back is the safest place for anyone to sit.

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nailpolish · 13/01/2005 08:03

i was led to believe it is illegal for children under 11 to sit in the front seat, regardless of booster seats etc

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misdee · 13/01/2005 08:23

its not illegal, just not recommended.

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JanH · 13/01/2005 08:58

Oh, I'd forgotten about airbags . linda, if his car has a passenger airbag she should not sit in the front - children have been killed by airbags.

This is from babycentre:



If there isn't an airbag the front seat should be pushed as far back as possible when she is in it.

What does your daughter say about it?

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hercules · 13/01/2005 09:06

I believe they want to make it illegal this year for children under 11 to sit in the front.

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hercules · 13/01/2005 09:07

I believe it is nothing to do with height (so booster seat doesnt make this up) but about the strength of their neck muscles.

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JanH · 13/01/2005 09:12

I sort of hope they do make it illegal, but then I think sometimes you have to put an under-11 in the front - what are you going to do then? Put it in the boot? Leave it behind? Not go at all?

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hercules · 13/01/2005 09:13

I see what you mean. DS (9) goes in the back but there has been occasions when we've had his friends on the car that he has had to sit in the front.

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JanH · 13/01/2005 09:14

Exactly, herc.

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KateandtheGirls · 13/01/2005 14:51

That's why I have a people carrier. Usually there are only 3 of us (me and the two kids), but sometimes I have my nephew and 2 nieces, and I wouldn't drive anywhere without them being properly secured in the back seat.

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Tinker · 13/01/2005 14:59

I hope they don't make it illegal. Mine has always sat in front so we can chat. Nightmare in a 2 door car if have to go in the back.

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nailpolish · 13/01/2005 15:01

would it just be illegal if the front had airbags?

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wordsmith · 13/01/2005 15:04

I don't have a front passenger seat airbag, and I put the baby's rear-facing car seat on the front seat when I was the only other occupant of the car so I could check on him. Now he is in a bigger car seat he is in the back seat. However DS1 (age nearly 5) has a booster seat in the back or the front, usually in the back with his little brother but when it's just me and him in the car he's normally in the front with me. I had no idea there were moves afoot to make it illegal for under-11s.

When I was little (60s and 70s) we just used to rattle round the back seat fighting! Cringe to think of it now. But cars were slower and there were less of them. Plus I think someone used to have to walk in front with a red flag....

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KateandtheGirls · 13/01/2005 15:07

LOL Wordsmith, how old are you?

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tarantula · 13/01/2005 15:13

We (my siss and I)were talking about this the other day and we cant believe that all 6 of us kids used to sit in the back (4 across and 2 on knees) and it was thought prefectly accecptable . I was always told that kids in the front was illegal too (could have been a parents ploy to stop us arguing about going in the front tho)

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KateandtheGirls · 13/01/2005 15:18

Tinker, you can do whatever you want with your children, but would you please just read information such as this from Babycenter so you can make an informed choice and weigh the factors involved, and not just put your child in the front because it's easier or you can chat.

"Buckling a child into the backseat instead of the front reduces by a third his risk of death in a collision."

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Bozza · 13/01/2005 15:33

I don't really get what is so difficult with a two door car. I have always had a two door car and the only time its ever really caused me difficulty is fastening DS in when I was heavily pregnant with DD. But now I regularly fasten DS in his high back booster and DD complete with baby seat with no problem. In fact I think its easier because I can do them both at once from DDs side rather than having to open the other door and do DS which is what I have to do in DH's bigger 4 door car.

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wordsmith · 13/01/2005 15:35

KATG, I'm 43. (I was joking about the red flag bit!)

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KateandtheGirls · 13/01/2005 16:02

I know you were joking, but it made me laugh.

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