Is it safe for 4 year old to be in front?

[SleepForTheWeak]

DD1 is 4.8 and a terrible traveller - always has been and we've learned how to deal with it as we live in a rural area and my family are 5 hours away mostly on terrible roads and we do make the journey quite a lot.

I struggle when I travel with both DDs without DH as DD1 can easily be sick 4 times during the journey to my parents house - sometimes I get the bucket to her on time but it's not always possible when I'm driving!

She is currently in a Joie Bold high back booster which is secured by belt, isofix and top tether. We have recently just changed her from a 5 point harness to a seat belt and I feel it's safe and secure.

However, we are making the journey again in a couple of weeks, just me and DDs, and I'm wondering whether DD1 would be happier and less Ill in the front (I'm also a bad traveller and it definitely helps me) but I'm worried that the front seat isn't as safe? She would just be in a normal high back booster as front seat doesn't have iso fix or top tether.

I've tried to find information online but can't get any definitive answers.

Would you put her in the front?

She's average height for her age if that helps, and we drive a Peugeot 5008.

It's not as safe as the back. If she does go in the front move the seat back from the dashboard as far as it will go

My 5 year old goes in the front because of terrible carsickness. Her seat is pulled back. I read a fair amount about it and it doesn’t seem as safe as the back.

Thank you - I'm still in two minds. If I know for a fact it's much safer in the back I think that's what we will end up doing. Got to weigh it up with the stress and resulting danger of a child being sick several times (distraction etc)

I think I probably would do it but knowing that it's a step down in safety if that makes sense. It wouldn't bother me too much. I think we can overthink these things. But IMO it helps to know why.

The front is more of a risk because it is more likely to be closer to the point of impact (in a front or side crash) but also because airbags aren't designed for children. You always push the seat as far back as it will go for this reason (distance from airbag and front of car) but also if you have the capability, it's recommended to turn the airbag off. It's not as critical as it is for a rear facing seat, though.

You could look up the NCAP test rating for your car. There are usually ratings for the passenger side and for a back seat child passenger, which might help you decide.

@BertieBotts thank you that is really helpful.

I think I am going to put her in the front seat, I mentioned about the journey a few days ago and she got really upset about travelling and being sick .

I suggested she sit beside me in the passenger seat and although she was still a bit apprehensive she cheered up and is (hopefully) now looking forward to our weekend.

It's so hard to know what to do for the best.

Update :

DD went into the front seat with her Joie HBB, she was happy to be beside me and it made things easier but she was still sick 4 times on way there (journey ended up lasting nearly 7 hours 😩) and twice on way back.

She even wore travel bands the whole journey.

I give up!

Do you give her travel sickness pills? My very travel sick DS has been using them since he was about 2. We use boots travel calm.

Do you give her travel sickness medication? It works on our two.

Just add that I was driving with my toddlers in the back they were 2 and 4 when I was in a high speed crash and the airbags deployed. It was like an explosion the force of the airbags. There was a dust from the and debris from the crash.
I can’t tell you how glad I was that they were in a place I could find them am relatively unharmed. The impact of the crash and the airbags would have been significant.

In terms of medication, we have tried kwells, joy rides and stugeron. She's still sick and it's almost impossible to get her to take them (we had to hide them in yogurt but now she won't eat yogurt as she figured it out 😩)

We got some medicine from the doctors when she was too young for tablets and it worked really well BUT she started gagging and being sick everytime we gave her it 🙄

She has a very sensitive gag reflex and is sick or retches if she smells something unpleasant etc which doesn't help, she also worries about it a lot which I think again contributes to it

@Panticles thank you for sharing that, I'm glad you were all ok.

I will definitely keep that in mind

I have 4 small kids. One has to go in the front in most cars. This is life.

Oh bless her. I used to get really travel sick and I still remember the horrendously overwhelming taste of Joy Rides, which, taken at a time I was already feeling queasy due to anxiety about the long journey was extremely nauseating.

I used to find the best way to take them was to chew up something stodgy, like a sandwich, and then push the tablet inside the chewed-up lump and swallow that quick so that the taste didn't have chance to come in. Yoghurt wouldn't work as it's still too liquid. I still have trouble swallowing tablets as an adult, though I'm better at it now. Obviously only works if she's willing to take them.

I think you're right that anxiety really contributes as I remember learning at school about meditation, and I can't remember exactly what it was that linked it with travel sickness for me, but I had some success with meditation as a remedy. And when I got older, singing along to something really loud always seemed to settle my stomach as well (lucky everyone else in the car :o :o)

Driving style makes a difference to me - somebody who drives in an eco friendly way with gentle stops and starts rather than surges in speed/using the power of the engine helps. We also used to try and pick routes which were on straighter roads than windy ones, even if it took longer. And the car can make a massive difference, it is something about the suspension. Something which tries to smooth over every lump, jump and bump is much more nausea-inducing than something which rattles you around a bit, weird though that may seem. And windows open, rather than air con, unless it's hot enough that air con is better.