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 someone else has said, UK law is rear facing until 15 months. Some forward facing car seats may have a lower weight limit as weights can vary hugely amongst babies, my friend's little one would barely have been 9 kilos at 15 months as she was a very low centile. (For the record OP I'm not just saying it to be difficult, our 23 month old is now forward facing as his legs were getting cramped (he's a tall one!) so obviously we've chosen not to stick to the ideal of 4 years). At 10 months old however your little one really does need to stay rear facing for the time being x

I can’t fathom why anyone would put a 10 month old in the front seat ever.

My DD goes through phases of screaming blue murder in the car. She doesn't cry if she's in the front with me. The crying is very, very distracting, so sometimes (if I cannot avoid or curtail a journey) I will put her in the front. I don't like doing it as a general rule but sometimes feel that needs must.

I'm with you 100% on forward facing though. My DC1 is still rear facing at 3.5 years.

He isn't rear facing until the age of 4.

Why not though, when it's so much safer?

You need to talk to your dad. He will know. There are lots of opinions flying around here, rather than facts.

The front passanger seat is the most dangerous one as far as I know.
I don't like putting children in the front at all.

It’s illegal to forward face before 15 months.

In an i-size seat (R129), but not in the ones that still go by weight (R44). These will be phased out eventually, but they are still being sold as far as I am aware, as currently there are two car seat legislations running concurrently. Eventually R44 will be scrapped (and rightfully so!).

Rear facing in the front (with the airbags fully off) is actually really safe - the front section of a car is designed to protect the driver in the event of a crash. My 3.5 year old is still rear facing, I'll let her go in the front seat occasionally in order to fit stuff in the back. I won't let my 7 year old in the front in his fwd facing high backed-booster at all.

I'm pretty certain the legal standard is rear facing till 15months. Although it's recommended for longer.

There's enough cases of internal decapitation of young forward facing children to put you off forward facing. And yes the front is more dangerous.

The guidance does say you can use the front seat 1. if there is no room in the back (I had to check this since my car only has the 2 sets of connectors in the back and that does count as being no room) and 2. if the child is in the appropriate seat. The forward facing 10-month-old would be the bigger issue, since that's the bit that is definitely not OK.

I'm not worried about the front seat if the airbag is off (I mean realistically are you more likely to have an accident if the baby is screaming constantly in the back seat or calm in the front?), but I would raise a huge eyebrow about a front facing seat at that age.
If the back seat is a big problem, would you consider trading in your car for one that's more appropriate for your child? That's what I just had to do this month.

He shouldn't be forward facing at 10 months anyway, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's the safest option. Put him in the back.

I can't understand why you would forward face at 10 months. Yes, if he's over 9kg it's legal, but it's so much safer to rear face. The risk of internal decapitation when forward facing just isn't worth taking in my opinion.

Definitely unreasonable to put a FF 10 month old in the front seat. Rear facing with air bags off, fine.

Rear facing needs the air bags off.
Forward facing needs the air bags ON.

Forward facing from 9mth while not ideal IS legal.

I personally wouldn’t put my almost 2yr old in the front but we do forward face. At 10mths he was too tall for his infant carrier.

There’s a huge amount of incorrect advice on here. Unfortunately safe is not the same as legal AND all children are very different sizes.

Mine sits in the front seat because she can escape straps. She also screams and holds her breath so much that I haven't driven further than 20 minutes in the car with her for 18 months. I put her rear facing in the front seat from about 13/14 months after nearly slamming my car into a wall to make the screaming stop. She now sits forward facing in the back because she discovered that rear facing in the front was also not fun. She's a fucker.

Is your seat older? The guidelines changed a few years ago, to rear face until 15 month (13kg), so i don't think they sell forward face facing from 9kg seats anymore.

If you have a seat from before then you can legally use it, but the fact they are now band should give you an idea of how unsafe it is to forward face so young.

Front seat is more dangerous then back, but the risk from been up front is probably insignificant next to the massive risk your already taking by forward facing.

Don’t forward face a ten month old! What on Earth are you thinking.

The legal standards are very low. Why are you so anti rear facing? It really is much safer but if you have a proper reason like car sickness etc you might get nicer replies. Even then, a 10m old forward facing risks internal decapitation in a crash so I think you’d be crazy to do it.

Can’t you pass him a toy from the front? I get snacks and toys set up beside me so I can just pass back during a journey where they are likely to be unsettled. Like others I don’t really understand not rear facing as long as possible. We are on holiday just now and using forward facing for the week, and they feel so much less secure, aside from all the research about the impact in a crash.

He isn't rear facing until the age of 4.
Why not though, when it's so much safer?

Because I can't afford it. However, I have taken the advice on board.
Rear facing for longer.

Can someone show me the law that states that it's illegal before 15 months?
I've not heard that before.

As PP's have said the forward facing and front seat are not the best idea at all.

However, if you do intend to do it then the passenger seat (which is the most dangerous seat in the car) should be moved as far back as possible and airbags should be turned off unless you have checked with the car manufacturer how far the airbags deploy and if they are safe for children.

Also check that the car seat actually fits, properly, on the front seat. Many are a different shape to the back seat so the fit can be incorrect if you go between the two (something like half of all child seats are incorrectly fitted!).

There are some reasonably priced rear facing seats such as Joie stages - they aren’t all £250 plus. What seat have you got?

Can someone show me the law that states that it's illegal before 15 months?

It depends on the seat you have. If you have an older seat then it is not illegal. In newer i-size seats that is now the law. The older ff-from-9kg seats are being phased out and will stop being sold

My nan was witness to a car accident, and one of the cars had a 1 year old in the front in a front facing seat.
Baby ended up in the middle of the road and unfortunately didn’t make it.
Nan never drive again after this.

Make your own mind up from that.

This is from the UK Gov website which confirms if you have an I-size car seat it must be rear facing until 15 months.

Please don’t forward face a 10 month old front or back seat.