Is it ok or a massive no-no for an older baby to be in a forward facing car seat in the front passenger seat?

[NoDontLookAtMeImShy]

As above.

The passenger air bags are turned off.

I understand that in the ideal world he would be in a rear facing car car seat in the back until he's 16.

But how bad is it if he was in the front in a forward facing seat, air bags off?
Is it way more dangerous than him being forward facing in the back?

As I understand it, the centre of the back seat is the safest place for forward facing car seats, how old is the baby? The back of the car is safer than the front for children.

MASSIVE no no

I would put my 4yr old DD in the centre at the back but there are no isopoints in the centre so I put her behind the passenger seat which is the second safest place

MASSIVE no no

Ok. Why?

He's 10 months.

The back middle would be ok except my car has this stupid pointless hump in the middle so I can't place the isofix arm down. Yet it has isofix points in the middle. Why??

I can put him in the back. It's just that he's happier with me up front where I can pass him a toy.

It’s legal, but far from optimal. I think if forward facing the airbags should be left on, with the seat positioned as far back as possible.

But I'm going to put him in the back if it is really that horrifically bad.

Perhaps I should ask my dad, he's a fireman, he's seen enough RTA's.

• Head-on collision?
• In a side-on collision, it's more likely to be in the front section of the car
• More likely to go through windscreen, even when properly strapped in to a good car seat
• If something comes flying through windscreen it's more likely to hit baby

It’s really not safe. Should a ten month old even be in a forward facing seat?! 🤔

No you absolutely cannot have airbags on with a child under 12.

10 months. No way.

It’s about reducing risk of injury/death:

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/warning-over-car-seats-for-babies/

Good point - why on Earth is he in a forward facing seat at 10 months?!

Yeah it's from 9kg, he's 11kg.

I believe it is legal AND if you don't have connector points on that middle seat (my car doesn't either) then it is probably the better choice.

My car's manual specifies that the centre back is NOT to have a seat installed on the centre back, which is super irritating now that we are expecting #3.

Check your car manual. Mine says that a child under 7 is not permitted in the front passenger seat. Even with the airbag off.

He isn't rear facing until the age of 4. That link is pointless.

My question was whether it was really dangerous in the frontz

At 10 months he should be in an infant carrier still. Please don't forward face him at 10 months. He wouldn’t stand a chance in a collision.

At 10 months his bones and muscles are no where near capable of dealing with a forward facing crash, also UK law states that children must rear face until 15 months minimum (If you're in the UK that is).

Why does the car seat say from 9kg?

When is he allowed out the rear facing one?

Any child under about 13 (or older if small for age) should be in back seat end of story. It prevents death and injury. It shouldn’t be a choice.

The biggest issue is a 10 month-old forward facing IMO. Rear facing is so much safer and 10 months is really early to be forward facing unless absolutely necessary. If he's in an i-size seat then he needs to rear face until 15 months anyway. If he's in a weight-based seat then he could potentially legally be forward facing sooner, but i-size law has been introduced because it is safer to rear face for longer, so really makes sense to follow that (minimally) guidance, regardless of the seat.

But yes I believe back of the car is safer than the front. But I sometimes use front seat for me DD (9 months) with airbag off, if she's going through a difficult phase. She's still rear facing in her infant carrier though.

Back seat until 12/13
Rear facing until at least 2

I can’t fathom why anyone would put a 10 month old in the front seat ever. Or rush to go forward facing. I worked in child safety if you saw what happens in accidents you wouldn’t ask this question...

Also please note to those justifying front seat in many countries it is illegal because it is unsafe. It is much better for a baby to cry and be safe than be in the front and have you able to do what, hold hand while they cry? It’s dangerous and I wish we made it illegal here.

It’s illegal to forward face before 15 months. And far less safe even after that. A forward facing child is far more likely to have an internal decapitation, amongst other advantages.
lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/rear%20facing%20car%20seat%20poster.pdf?token=AWxMyZux5JTbxX-XPvyanbw2DmppLIXWReXaWQhiX57hvGWjMot6hlT_GzrZQ5UqeYQ-TlbpjnsUN_Mr0sK8ErFOQ0BUHginur07xyvPyNAA_ZwWfOzP8KHn92zx4Lq0ptvya-vsOD29iR7uTUxhrbBgxMfshFfzFvW2sbpD272Cv0dy76-Ae08FRZ8JMvlE_h8