..to ask why you allow your child to sit in the front seat of the car?

[schooltripwoes]

By child I mean one small enough to need a car seat / booster (under 11s or thereabouts).

All safety advice I've ever read clearly states that children are generally much, much safer sat in the back of the car if there were to be an accident.

Passenger seat safety features such as airbags are designed to protect an adult body, and as such may not work well for a young child.

Yet many of the children arriving at my children's school / hobbies travel sat in the front of the car (I notice this mainly for ages 5-8). In some cases it's because the rear seats are occupied with several siblings / lift shares, but in most cases it's not.

If you let your child sit in the front, why?

Because we only have a van with no rear seats and no air bags. Not ideal but we're looking at changing.

I don’t - my children both have car sickness (10-15 minutes maximum) but we’ve just had to minimise car trips. I don’t judge anyone who does though. Personally if we were to get into an accident with one of them in front I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

Because I’m disabled and struggle to get her in the back. She can do it herself in the front. Plus we both like it.

We let ours sit in the front on the odd occasion...rare but we have done it. We live in an area with no motorways, and in fact no dual carriageway...and rarely drive more than a couple of miles. Not that concerned really. 🤷

Because the studies that say it's more dangerous were
A) based on older cars which are now safer.
B) kids not sitting safely, with legs on dash or crossed.
C) too close to the airbags, and being shorter meant airbag in the face

So for us the seat is pushed right back and she has a booster and the rule is that if she doesn't sit upright and straight she goes back into the back.

Oh, and the airbag is off, obviously.

The airbag doesn’t need to be off if the child is in a forward facing seat/

Because I’m capable of making many and varied risk assessments on a daily basis. Some things I do other will deem too risky, some things others do I will deem too risky.
This... definitely. Can't believe how judgemental some people are about others. I'll never forget being told a story about a woman being rear ended by a lorry on the motorway. I won't go on but the story haunted me. You have to weigh things up as we all do, every day, with all sorts of things.

How much of a difference does it actually make?

You can't fit three car seats in the back of many cars so it's often a choice between no car seat in the middle in the back or car seat in the front - how do you work out which is safer?

One of mine goes in the front due to car sickness.

I'm with you! DSD's Mum does it and it drives me mad! DSD is 6 and her Mum does it because she wants company. Bloody stupid reason to put your child in danger if you ask me but there we go, what can you do except silently seethe!

Because I’m disabled and struggle to get her in the back. She can do it herself in the front

How does she find it easier in the front? What's the difference? Please don't think I'm being goady. It's a genuine question.

I've never seen any well educated parent place a child in the front unless for extreme car sickness. It's not called the death seat for nothing. It's statistically the least safe seat in the car. It's the seat likely to experience the most force in a crash and children obviously don't withstand extreme force particularly well due to their size. It's irresponsible. But then I've been in theatre with many kids who experienced "internal decapitation".

Because he has autism, had very little language for a long time and sitting in the front looking at all the other vehicles on the road got him talking a teeny tiny bit.

DS13 is pushing 6 foot tall so has been in the front for a long time. DS7 is still in a booster in the back despite being very tall, and will be til he's older.

Not keen on the judgy tone of this thread, though; there are a million reasons to put a child in the front and I doubt very much any parent on here deliberately thinks "I know, I'll put my child in danger".

So that she can be in control of the CD player. But she goes in the back for motorways. 
Originally it was because I was moving house and needed the back for furniture on multiple trips.

children are generally much, much safer sat in the back of the car

They're even safer at home and not going out at all. Well, unless they get burnt, electrocuted or what not. The world is both dangerous but safer than ever. Also consider that car safety stats are based on all journeys but children arriving at local activities have probably only traveled a mile or two on local roads at low speed. It's not the same as putting a toddler in the front for the run down to Cornwall.

If installed correctly and in line with the car manufacturers and car seat manufacturers guidelines it is perfectly safe.

I only need to use the front when I have my nieces and new to get 4 car seats in the car but I ensure that they are all safely secured.

Due to travel sickness

Is it not the case that if your child is rear facing in an extended rear facing 25kg seat that needs to brace, such as the TWE, that the safest place is the front passenger side. As the dashboard is stronger than bracing on the seat in front. I'm sure I read that that is the advice that the Swedes follow? And they have the highest safety standards. Obviously not the same for other car seats.

@schooltripwoes I have a 4 seated car and my younger two fight at the back so I separate them

I let mine ride a horse. Front carseat seems inoffensive in comparison.

If your child is in an appropriate, rear-facing car seat with the airbags off then they are arguably safer in the front. The safest space in modern cars is the front cell - designed to protect the driver. Plus in the event of a crash you can get them out quicker if they are next to you.

You are never safer in the front. Never.

I let mine ride a horse. Front carseat seems inoffensive in comparison.

Yes, and this 😂

I thought the TWE had to be in the back, as it tethers off the seat bases of the seat in front? Could well be wrong, obviously 😁