Car seats - are children allowed in the front seat AT ALL?

[Flamesparrow]

Psychomum was telling me today that children under 9 aren't allowed in the front at all (in any car seats) and over 9 only if there is no airbag.

I am struggling to find clear details on any of this now.

Yesterday I thought I knew what was happening...

So - any very up to date sites about???

www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm

yes they are. If there is no airbag a child in a front facing seat can go in the front seat of a car. if there is an airbag it must be immobilised OR the seat pushed back as far as it will go, again only front facing seats.

will try and find where i found it

lol, thanks the blonde!

what about a first stage car seat (assuming there is no air bag)?

if its rear facing, then no

new law taken from TheBlondes link

really? I read that link as meaning yes, so long as it is the proper car seat.

"In the Front Seat

The child MUST use the correct child restraint."

Okay I'd like some clarificaiton about this too.

here's two scenarios

1: toddler has been violently carsick (vomiting, shaking and screaming) Carseat is soaked with vomit as are all changes of clothes and its a winters night and we're 50 miles from our destination on top of moors.
Would i be arrested/fined etc if I take toddler out of carseat and hold them on my lap asleep in my jumper.
Should I leave naked, cold, ill, toddler strapped into vomit covered carseat?

(this happened to me last winter)

2: We now are in process of buying a pickup, there are 3 front seats and no rear seats - can we take our toddler in the pick up with us? and what type of carseat do we use in the front seat if this is allowed?

So my DS2 is tall for his age, aged 9 but over 135cm, so he doesn't sit on a booster seat, but if I give his 'vertically challenged' friends a lift, I have to have them on a booster? Is this correct? Sales of boosters are going to go through the roof!

I think it's bad thet they are saying a child over 3 can sit in the rear of a car with no restraint if the two others are occupied!

"there are three exemptions, where a child in this category does not have to use a child restraint. In each case the child MUST use the adult belt instead. They are -

1. in a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle;

2. if the child is travelling on a short distance for reason of unexpected necessity;

3. if there are two occupied child restraints in the rear which prevent the fitment of a third."

Woolworths have booster seats in for £10 at the moment!

DUH! Didn't see the adult belt bit!

quote for cupcakes from further down the link i gave...

"It will become illegal to use a rear-ward facing child restraint in a vehicle seat which is protected by an active front airbag."

Riab, 50 miles isn;t a short journey and all children need to be restrained with the poper CHILD restraint so i took it to mean that if its covered in sick then thats how they travekl for the remainder of the journey. If it happens regularly, i would pack a bag with pampers care mats spare clothes and a blanket

under nines are allowed to sit in the front (rear facing baby seat =airbag off) in the correct child seat but the back is safer see here for official gov leaflet, but if two children in back in seats so third wont fit it is better for third child to be in correct child seat in the front if poss.

riab- i wouldnt worry so much about whether you would be fined but what if you were in an accident, i was with my dd, thanks to her car seat she was fine, but i do appreciate that it is a tricky situation, line carseat with jumper maybe?

After seeing this leaflet Caligula posted a while ago on a similar thread i would never risk anything.

Thankyou. I think I know what's going on...