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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be worrying about DC (6) in the front seat of a car on motorway?

80 replies

CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 15:55

I'm really not sure if i'm being over cautious as I am rather passionate about car safety and may be worrying for no reason. My DC never travel in the front in my car, i only allow DC1 to travel in the front between school and home when the car has extra for friends home and he is 9.

My DF has a free return ticket to an attraction. the ticket is restricted to his car only as that was the car he took when he originally went to the attraction. He wants to take my younger 3 DC with him. The problem is that we can't fit all 3 DC car seats across the back of his car.

So DC2 who is 6 will need to travel in the front seat, its about an hour up the motorway. The car in question is a large 4x4 and DC2 will be in a HBB. If relevant DC is a small 6 (wears age 5 clothes).

Would you be happy to allow your DC to travel in the front in this situation?

OP posts:
Villainelle · 16/10/2018 15:57

Yes of course 

JennyOnAPlate · 16/10/2018 15:58

If it's the attraction I'm thinking of you can take a different car if that's an option for you. Just phone them up and tell them.

Original poster
CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 15:59

jenny the ticket has his registration printed on it.

OP posts:
ileclerc · 16/10/2018 16:00

How tall are they?

RiverTam · 16/10/2018 16:02

depends how long on the motorway and how good a driver you think your DF is.

I'm surprised you can't get three car seats in the back of a 4x4, a friend has a pretty narrow one and she can squeeze 3 in (kids aged 8, 6 and 3).

Original poster
CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 16:05

DC is about 120cm tall.

One seat is an isofix which is big. the middle seat is narrow and the seat belt plug for it ends up underneath/behind the HBB so you cant access it. I have tried, its just not possible because of the set up of the plug of the middle seat.

OP posts:
Lazypuppy · 16/10/2018 16:05

Yes i would be happy. My 9 month old has been on the front passenger seat since birth

Original poster
CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 16:05

it would be 1 hour on the motorway. DF is an excellent driver.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 16/10/2018 16:07

Of course he should NOT be in the front seat. If there is an accident, the airbag could very possibly kill him. There are warnings about this everywhere, for good reason.

itsboiledeggsagain · 16/10/2018 16:08

we have this problem with our car from time to time. you can normally fix it in if you load middle child before the side child's seat. I would do that over the front seat, or put the child in the middle without a booster probably.

having said that our nanny has a small car and dd1 has sat in the front from age 5, they rarely go on the motorway though.

if you use the front then disable the airbag.

welshweasel · 16/10/2018 16:08

Are any of the kids in rear facing seats? If you can turn the airbag off then having a rear facing seat in the front is no less safe than in the back. You could borrow one?

treaclesoda · 16/10/2018 16:10

Of course he should NOT be in the front seat. If there is an accident, the airbag could very possibly kill him. There are warnings about this everywhere, for good reason.

But you can disable the air bag in most modern cars for precisely this type of situation.

StripyHorse · 16/10/2018 16:11

Can you turn the airbag off? If so, with a car seat I would be happy to allow a 6 year old to do this.

LemonBreeland · 16/10/2018 16:12

Can the airbag be disabled? If so I would be happy with it. The seat should be moved as fat back as possible.

Fattymcfaterson · 16/10/2018 16:12

Of course he should NOT be in the front seat. If there is an accident, the airbag could very possibly kill him. There are warnings about this everywhere, for good reason

Genuinely haven't seen these warnings for a 6 year old child? Do you have a link to goverment guidelines on this?

reallyanotherone · 16/10/2018 16:15

Statistcally, the middle rear seat is the safest. I used to put the youngest two in car seats either side and the oldest in the middle with no seat if the choice had to be made.

Donna1001 · 16/10/2018 16:17

I don’t think you are being unreasonable at all.

I don’t allow my 11 year old to ride in the front seat on the motorway, so definitely not my 8 year old. I’m probably over cautious though, discovered the other day that my 2 of my DD8’s friends (twins), don’t use boosters at all, & mines still in a HBB!

I would allow it in this case, but would be anxious the whole time!

whosafraidofabigduckfart · 16/10/2018 16:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fatted · 16/10/2018 16:20

I'd allow it only if there isn't a side airbag. My old car couldn't have any car seat in the front because of the side airbag.

Original poster
CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 16:20

I can't see anywhere on the car dash that says we can disable the airbag or i would have done that. might get DF to find the manual!

DC is too small to travel in the middle with no booster at all, his legs can't bend over the edge of the seat and the belt is way to high.

youngest (3) is in a rearfacing seat but its isofix only so can't go in the front.

If i load the middle child first there is no way you would be able to get to release the seatbelt in an emergency situation, i couldnt physically get my hand down and behind the HBB once the other HBB next to it was in situ. Plus all 3 seats were crammed against each other so not sitting correctly either.

OP posts:
Original poster
CanOpenWormsEverywhere · 16/10/2018 16:23

donna it terrifies me how many of my DCs friends are without HBB at the ages of 6 and 9. My 9 year old is 138cm and will be staying in a HBB until 150cm as is the law in France. He cannot pass the 5 point check for being bit enough to travel without one even though legally he is tall enough.

OP posts:
Lazypuppy · 16/10/2018 16:23

It won't be on the dash. What make of car is it? Mine is a renault, and theres a switch when you open the driver door.

My mum has a ford and theres a switch in the glove box

MaxTeyon · 16/10/2018 16:24

Of course he should NOT be in the front seat. If there is an accident, the airbag could very possibly kill him. There are warnings about this everywhere, for good reason.

No there aren’t and you should NOT be disabling the airbag, that is only for rear facing child seats.

treaclesoda · 16/10/2018 16:25

This isn't being snarky, because I'm also very reluctant to let small children sit in the front. But when people say that the back middle seat is the safest, and the front passenger seat the most dangerous, are those just straightforward figures of injuries/fatalities compared to journeys made. Or are those figures adjusted to factor in the reality of the middle rear seat usually only ever being used once all the other seats are full?

Lollipop30 · 16/10/2018 16:27

Can you take the isofix out for the day? I have three seats in the back of my car. I don’t put my lot in the front but I know plenty of my friends will.

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