To let my 6 year old sit in the front passenger seat of the car all the time?

[Ilikeyoursleeves]

We are a family of 5- me, dh, three kids age 6, 4 and 1. The set up in the car is the two youngest go in the rear with me in between their car seats, while the 6 year old sits in the front passenger seat. The reason being we can't get all three car seats across the rear seats.

Is this ok to do this though? AIBU cos someone has raised an eyebrow at it. Genuine question!

If you can't fit the 3 children safely in the back, I don't see you have any other option

Its not the safest option but it sounds like it may be your only option so up to you really.

Can you get a different car? Have you tried different car seats?

Do you put the car seat on the front passenger seat? that doesn't sound like it should happen
I'd have a look at what age the airbags are ok at.

buy a bigger car?

If you have an airbag the child could easily be blinded or killed in a collision, even a relatively minor one.
Its really not a good idea, under 12's should be in the back.

One reason I'm sticking at 2 is that I don't want to have to run one of those big cars, which it seems you have to these days with car seat laws.
You can get those multimac things. Don't know what they're like.

Sounds fine to me. Make sure the front passenger seat is slid back.

depends on whether you have a passenger air bag. from what I read air bags are designed for adults and can really hurt a child under about 12. we had similar problem with 3 kids. eldest was 6 when ds3 was born and we decided it was safer to have them all in the back so ds1 had no car seat. we bought a thing which adjusted the seat belt so it didn't dig into his neck. that was our decision. will be interested to hear what others think

Like others have said, it isn't ideal, but I don't see what else you can do.

Slide seat all the way back and make sure the airbag is off.

Does this help:
"If your child is aged under 12 years they must be using an appropriate child restraint, unless they are over 135cm in height. Once a child is taller than 135cm, you may move a child out of the booster seat or booster cushion, regardless of their age, although they must still legally use the adult belt."
www.childcarseats.org.uk/faqs/#front

Totally depends on the seat they're in, and airbags. But, if the one or four year old are rear facing, and you can turn off the airbag, it may be safer to have the forward facing 6 year old in the back, and a rearward facing in the front. Better to have kids in proper seats in the front, than just with adult belt in the back. Safer rear facing in front than forward facing in back, as long as airbag turned off.

It's a risk assessment, and tricky with your combo, but if you cannot fit 3 seats in a row in the back, then one kid has to be in the front, and I would disable the airbag, and have the four year old rear facing. Whatever you do, it's your family's risk assessment to do.

We don't do it all the time but sometimes dd1 sits in the front when I have a bad back - she can't do her own seat belt as she has 2 stage one car seats either side but when my back is bad it's very painful to struggle to strap her in so I put her in the front. I've been told different advice re air bags including one senior garage manager and a fireman who said once in booster seats the airbag should be left on but seat not too far forward and another who said turn the airbag off (which I can do in my car). Totally confusing!

The 6 year old in the front sits in a booster seat with it pushed back as far as possible. We can't deactivate the airbag, I've tried!

Oooh I was told never ever put rear facing in the front even with air bag off as a spark caused by a crash could still activate the air bag. More conflicting advice

I also have 3 DC all in seats so I drive a grand Picasso that can fit 3 seats in the back, DH can't.

Legally, if you cannot fit 3 car seats across the back, the oldest child does not need to use a car seat. You can use a seat in the front, but ensure that you can (and do) disable the air bag.

In DH's car DS sits in the front if I am not there, if I am we wedge the two boosters in next to DD2's stage 1seat.

can a mechanic not disable the airbag?

You can get an air bag removed by a garage

I wouldn't do it if you can't deactivate the airbag. Way to dangerous. Get a multi mac or take the car to the garage and get the airbag sorted out.

*too

If you can't deactivate the airbag then I'm sorry but you a putting your DS at serious risk, it doesn't even need to be a crash just a hard bump could set it off.

You need to take it to a garage.
It's a 5 minute job.
My ds age 6 has been in the front since birth.

I thought you were only supposed to deactivate the airbag if the car seat is rear facing - if forward facing then better to leave the airbag on?

OP, I would say that car seat in the front is better than no seat in the back.

I am meaning deactivating the airbag.

I am meaning deactivating the airbag.

statistically the front passenger seat is the worst seat of a car to be in.
personally I'd rather not have my kids in the front and we shopped for a car in between DC2 and 3, and then again a few yrs later, taking all the various stages of car seat with us and checking they would all fit in various combinations! none of them were new cars and none very expensive - we just prioritised the car seat/seat belts thing over pretty much everything else.