Giving a lift to a 7 year old child - where to put him in the car?

[ksld]

I have 2 booster seats with backs for my 2, there is no room to fit another booster in the middle at the back, but there is a seat belt (shoulder one not lap belt).
There will be no one in the front passenger seat, but it has an airbag.

So where would you put the visiting DC for 2 20 minute journeys?
in the middle back?
in my oldest child's booster seat ?(and my child in middle back?)
in the front in borrowed booster seat?

This is an unexpected lift I have to do today as a favour - can get a spare booster seat but can't speak to Mum to find out where she would like him to sit.

How old are your dc?

When I have to give another child a lift I put them in the back on a booster. My DD goes on a booster on the front seat with the seat pushed as far back as it will go.

If you can get a borrowed booster then I'd put own child in front in booster and other child in back. If you can't get a booster then biggest child in middle back with just seatbelt, other 2 in boosters in back

SarkySpanner - my DC are 6 and 4, my 6 year old is the tallest, borrowed 7 year old the heaviest.

Marrow - have tried to fit just the booster in the middle and it still won't go, makes all 3 seats wedged in at angles, can't reach to clip in seatbelts, and none of the seats look safe to me.

gin - Can my child go in front? I thought the airbag made it unsafe - or is that for babies?

Thanks all for replies!

Sometimes these situations are just plain unavoidable.

I always put the visiting child in the 'safest' seat, so in your situation that would be in the back and then I put my DS in the front, usually without a booster seat though as I only have one. Car does have airbag, but chances are that everything will be fine.

Or you could put your DS in the middle back?

I must check the height limit for not having a booster seat though as DS is quite tall and he must be close to it.

I think the front seat with a booster (and the seat pushed back as far as it will go) is safer than the middle back without a booster at that age. That's what I would do with DD1 and her friends (8).

i woul definitely have him on a booster if you can. push the front seast right back. AFAIK this is what is recommended for children on boosters in front seats with airbags. i think it is rear facing seats that cannot go in teh front.

Yes. It's only rear facing seats that shouldn't be used in front with air bags.

This link is to ROSPA and seems quite helpful?