Which child to put in front seat

[Flymeaway4]

Baby #3 on the way. When this one arrives we’ll also have a 4yr old (very nearly 5) and a 3yr old. We will have baby and 3yr old in rear facing seats and need to buy a HBB for the eldest. Visited a baby shop today and they’ve said we won’t fit 3 across the back, so we’ll need 1 in the front.

So, which one is safest in the front seat? Newborn in a rear facing seat (air bag can be deactivated), middle child in a rear facing seat or eldest in a forward facing HBB?

In case it’s relevant, car is an Audi Q6 e-tron and car seats are joie i-level and joie i-spin (HBB still to be bought)

Thanks

What @BertieBottssays is exactly my point. By switching off the airbag, the key safety feature of the front seat is undone, leaving the person open to the full force of windshield damage and slamming against the dash. Why would anyone want to put their child in this position when they are safer at the back.

So many saying they'd never do it, but seemingly nobody can explain why.....

And we have no 'lifestyle' clause on my scheme, so again, not an option.

Loads of people can explain why. You just refuse to listen and want to keep your car over anything else.

Turning off the airbag is disabling a safety feature that will impact on other parts of the scenario in a crash. You’ve also failed to read the manual properly, any old car seat won’t automatically disable your airbag but you assumed it would. That’s so fucking dangerous.

The proximity to the windscreen.

The fact that you’re more likely to be crashing from the front than not.

The well known fact that the rear middle seat is safest for everyone, especially children and infants who suffer the impact of a crash worse than adults in certain situations.

You don’t want any actual scientific information, you keep saying you do but it’s clear that you just want to keep the car you’ve got. Otherwise you’d return to the dealer, explain your situation and, even if it costs you a small amount, you’d put your child’s safety first.

Here’s some reading anyway,

In regards to child safety, (Braver, Whitfield, & Ferguson, 1998) found that among children under 13 years of age, fatality risk was 38% lower for properly restrained rear seated children compared with those positioned in the front seat Braver et al. (1998). A more recent study by Winston et al. found children were 40% safer in the back seat than in the front when involved in a crash and that the risk of injury dropped to less than 2% when these rear seated children were harnessed in age appropriate restraint systems (Durbin, Chen, Smith, Elliott, & Winston, 2005).

@CountryQueen car seats and cars have come along way since the studies you have quoted.

Safety isn't binary, there isn't a safe Vs not safe option. It's about balance of risks. A rear facing child in the front isn't going into the dashboard, the seat is supporting them. Yes windscreen could break but thats safety glass and broken glass can effect any position.

I'm also confused about a poster that said someone got advice from a safety centre and chose a multimac over a child in the front. It's not possible to do extended rear facing in a multimac so not a viable option and definitely safer to put a RF child in the front than ff them to early in a multimac.

@KoalaslippersI copied literally the first one, it wasn’t meant to be the latest study 🤣

Just an example of how the OP is acting all “well nobody can tell me whyyyyy” and then when someone gives a bit of actual information she gets arsey or makes up her own “facts”

I've not refused to listen, I've taken all information on board and I have never made up my own facts (where have I done this?!!). It is a balanced decision and I make no apologies for the fact that one of the factors in that decision is cost. And we're not talking a small amount here, it's £9k at an absolute minimum (early return fee) and could be as much as £40k if there is no electric car suitable (3yrs of extra childcare fees due to lack of salary sacrifice). If these are "small sums" to you, then you are coming from a very privileged position.

I've now made an appointment with an ERF specialist to see if we can get 3 rear facing in the back. If not, my choice will be to forward face my eldest in the back or rear face one of them in the front. On the balance of all information I've read so far, my conclusion is that the latter is the best option for us. Clearly others have come to a different conclusion, but that doesn't make me wrong and them right, as I don't believe that is only 1 right answer here. A different crash could make either situation a better or worse outcome, it woukd just be luck

And I've only got arsey when called crazy or similar for considering what many believe to be perfectly reasonable and safe solution.

Mine always go in the front seat , in a high back booster - 8 & 5 year olds (take turns)
I notice a lot of parents on the school run have one of their dc in the front. I feel that no matter what you do there is a risk of injury. I know someone who was hit from the side where her baby was sitting. The robost car seat saved him thankfully. I also know someone who is very strict about seats, rear facing until 4 etc and they have their newborn in the front.