To put a 6year old in the front seat of the car?

[im2tired2careurgh]

Taking DD6 and 2 friends also age 6 out for the day tomorrow.
I have 3 booster car seats but only 2 fit in the back.
I either need to put one of them in the back with out a booster seat or one in the front in a booster seat.
I'm leaning towards using the booster and letting one go in the front seat but not sure if that's the best option.

Yes but push thecseat right back .

Booster seat in front is probably safer than no booster in the back.

How old are you meant to wait before putting them in the front? I have a 6 and 4 year old who often fight in the back which is v distracting when I’m driving so I often pull over and switch the least badly behaved one to the front seat as I feel this is safer than trying to drive and tell them off for hurting each other. I know it’s not ideal.

I wouldn't do it but I don't know the legal position.

Turn airbag off too

Can any of the other parents loan a narrower seat to enable them to fit in the back - that would be the best option

My 6 year old goes in the front quite a lot, the seat goes all the way back and I turn the air bag off. He goes in the high backed booster

Don’t turn airbag off.

Biggest myth ever. You turn it off for rear facing seats only, not forward facing ones.

Yes I second that for goodness sake don't turn off the air bag

Legally it's ok. I have to have a four year old in the front as I only have space for the two younger siblings in the back. As the pp said, make sure the seat is pushed back as far as it can go.

More info for you to decide if you turn it off.

www.childcarseats.org.uk/choosing-using/airbags-and-child-seats/

I put DD in the front and airbags are on.

We all have high back boosters and my car isn't very big so no way I can make 3 boosters in the back work.

I think I'll put one in the front and make sure the seat is pushed right back. I'll leave the airbag on as I'm sure it only needs to be turned off for rear facing seats.

I think the legal rule is you can have a child in the front if a back seat is available or something along them lines but I may be making it up.
I only let my oldest in the front now she doesn't need a booster but always have the booster in the back for the youngest.
I haven't needed 3 boosters before now.

Don't put a young child at the front unless you want that child to end up with a smashed face in case the airbag explodes in a crash, even a minor one can detonate an airbag.
It can cause death, blindness and break bone sin the face.
"The force of the airbag is greatest in the first 2-3 inches after the airbag bursts through the cover. During pre-crash breaking, one may be thrown toward the dashboard area, in immediate proximity to the airbag. The impact from the airbag can cause serious and permanent injuries or even death from spinal chord, brain, or other injuries. The risk is greatest for children and smaller adults. Typical injuries can include neck hyperextension, spinal chord injuries, blindness, facial abrasions, lacerations, blunt trauma, chest injuries, internal trauma, and burns. " Go at min 1.29
If there is no other option, push seat back as much as you can

Airbag are designed for adults or older children. At 6, a child is too short, and has the head in first line

My 6 yo has been going in the front since he was about 4 as have my other two older children. Then again my car is so ancient the airbag is probably dust that's if there even is a passenger one.

I wouldn't put a 6 year old in the front. A friend lost her 11 year old child because they were sitting in the front seat and the airbag went off. The manufacturer of the car said in court that a child shouldn't sit in the front with the air bag until they are 14. The height is irrelevant. The bones are not strong enough until 14.

I probably workday as a one off but I would put my own child in the front rather than anyone else’s.

My neighbours year one child climbs into her passenger seat every morning at the same time as my year six child gets into the back but like Anne I have personal experience of a child being killed in a car accident because she was in the front.

person has to be 1.35m tall to sit in front, according to law.

No they don’t , there is no law on height.

Gosh this is a useful thread. Didn’t know that about bones and airbags.

Please be aware that (with a booster seat) the car seat belt doesn't operate as well if the car seat is pushed so far back that the seat belt anchor is forward of the seat because the tension is lost.

I think it's safer to put them in front on a booster than in the back without one. Especially as the middle seat is less safe than the other two seats.

I would put my own child in the front though as you are more likely to know if you can trust them not to touch things, sitback when instructed etc. Or else the child I consider most sensible. Also I would put my own in front because I don't think you should put other people's kids in the less safe seat.

Il

As a one off, if you aren't travelling that far, this is of course totally ok. I am staggered that people seem to think it isn't.

To travel in the front seat, the child must be over 12 or 135m tall whichever occurs the sooner (ie a 12 year old still under 135m can as can a 9 year old who is 150m, but an 11 year old at 130 cannot). That’s the law. Booster seat is irrelevant. You can get seat only boosters which will usually fit in the back in between two high back boosters. .

Sorry correcting myself - the above is for a child without a child restraint seat. You can put a booster seat in the front and as pp have said push the seat back as far as possible.

The manufacturer of the car said in court that a child shouldn't sit in the front with the air bag until they are 14. The height is irrelevant. The bones are not strong enough until 14.

Well if that's true perhaps the car manufacturer should have mentioned it BEFORE

What car was it and why has this not been publicised?

In this day and age of technology jow have they not found a better alternative or improvement to airbags. Sangerous with and dangerous without! Surely there is a better way... wish i could think of something!