Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Other subjects

Flip

Original poster

Is it legal for a child to travel in the front passenger seat? And anyone got any advice about keeping belts on!

20 replies

Eulalia · 04/02/2008 11:25

I have been looking on various websites about car seat law but can't actually find anything about if a child can sit in the front. I recently moved my 2.5 year old into the front with me as he kept on undoing his belt. He is in the appropriate car seat but is very small and able to wriggle out of the straps. So last summer I got a belt tightener on eBay. It was a Velcro type thing and after a couple of months he broke the strap off it and then eventually was strong enough to rip the velcro apart. So I got another one, a Clipasafe or something and it is a proper sliding clip which squeezes the straps togehter. this has worked really well until recently when he has learned how to open it. It is quite easy as it just involves pressing at each side. Now I am stumped as what to do. He keeps opening hte belt and wants to sit in the booster seats like his brother and sister. In desparation I moved him into the front at the weekend as I didn't see how I was going to get home otherwise with all the stopping and starting. I know some people say give them activities but I don't have anywhere to put anything and he keeps dropping things if on his lap. He seems to like the front as he can see out although can fiddle the radio with his foot! I know in the case of an accident it is less safe but not sure if it is even legal?

Anyone any advice?

OP posts:

nervousal · 04/02/2008 11:27

As far as I know there is nothing illegal about a child being in the front seat as long as they are in an appropriate car seat. The only reaon I don't have DD in front with me is because (like you DS) she can kick the radio.

Niecie · 04/02/2008 11:30

Have a look here

It is OK for a small child to travel in the front so long as they have the correct seat.

evenhope · 04/02/2008 11:37

If you've got an airbag you need to move the seat as far back as it will go.

Original poster

Eulalia · 04/02/2008 11:39

Just been looking at that website Niecie but it didn't mention the front. I am terrified of being stopped by the police as I was stopped last summer with ds's antics.

No airbag in car.

OP posts:

nannyjo · 04/02/2008 11:42

Watch the hand brake though!!! I had DS in the front as a 'treat' once and he decided to pull the handbrake on while i was doing 40mph!! Luckily he wasn't strong enough to do any handbrake turns but it certainly gave me a fright. When No.3 arrives he'll have to go in the front of my car....lets hope he's forgotten!!

littleducks · 04/02/2008 11:49

I believe that it is recommended that children travel in the back, but it is perfectly legal for them to travel in a passenger seat in the apropriate car seat.

If you have an airbag, firstly check that your seat can be used in the front seat (my maxi cosi one says on safety sticker on the side that it is not safe in a seat with an airbag). If it is ok push the seat back as far as possible.

Good luck with the little escape artist!

SmartArse · 04/02/2008 11:52

Eulalia, my DD2 used to do the same. I'd be driving along and suddenly this little smiley face would appear over my shoulder . I tried strapping a set of reins over the top of the seat belt on the car seat but she still managed to squeeze out of that, so then I used 2 sets of reins, one on top of the other, and that stopped the little Houdini!

Original poster

Eulalia · 04/02/2008 12:19

SmartArse - that was how I got stopped last summer. I had ds in reins tied round the back of the seat but he wasn't close into the seat and a policeman on his motor cycle saw him swaying from side to side. I got stopped and a severe lecture but nothing constructive about how to solve the problem. He just said "educate your child", fine but he was only 20 months then! He did actually say that the reins would snap in an accident so I had to ditch that. I couldn't get them tight enough anyway. I don't know how to use the reins tied somehow in the car seat as the straps of the seat are a closed loop. It is a nightmare! Also aren't you supposed to be able to get them out in a hurry if there is an accident - don't want to be fiddling with too many straps!

OP posts:

Twinkie1 · 04/02/2008 12:22

Stick him back in a smaller car seat or tie a piece of ribbon really tightly around his strapes and knot it over and over!

hunofmonsters · 04/02/2008 12:29

I wouldn't recommend tying exra things to teh car seat/child/harness. Trying to get your child OUT in an emergancy could be quite terrifying!

At 2.5 he is old enough now to learn that the car will not go if he is not strapped in. If it takes you an hour to get home instead of 10 mins so what? you have an alive child.
Getting all these gadgets to fit over seat belts is all well and good but at the end of the day its just attractive to them and they will fiddle. Thats what kids do. He needs to learn that in the car you have a seatbelt on.

I can't really tell from your posts if he is in a seat with a 5 point harness or an adult seatbelt. If its the adult seatbelt i have seen a few MNetters suggest turning the belt lock around so it clips in backwards and is harder for them to unfasten.

lauzie · 04/02/2008 12:33

Not sure if this would be any good for you but I got a seat belt 'lock' from ebay. It's basically a medicine bottle lid on a bracket around the seatbelt clasp which then covers the seat belt button. It has totally stumped my 2yo ds. I shall try to do a link although have never done one before so appologies in advance if it doesn't work!

lauzie · 04/02/2008 12:35

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Seat-Safety-Belt-Buckle-Guard-Lock-Child-Seats_W0QQitemZ260138295163QQihZ016QQcategor yZ66693QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

Hope this works

Niecie · 04/02/2008 12:36

Eulalia - scrowl down on the website I linked to, there is a box which says children can sit in the front and refers you to Qu 3 which is a bit further down - 'Can children travel in the fron seat'?

There is also a box there to click on about how to encourage your child to use their car seat. Don't know if it has any strategies you haven't tried.

lauzie · 04/02/2008 12:37

sorry apologies

Twinkie1 · 04/02/2008 12:41

WHat make and model have you got him in?

OrmIrian · 04/02/2008 12:43

Watch out for the door handle though. We only have child locks in the back doors and DS#2 opened his door in traffic once Thankfully we were travelling slowly in queue at the time.

Niecie · 04/02/2008 12:57

DS2 opened his door on a sliproad off the M3 once. We had never had to use the door locks with DS1 and didn't think to do it for DS2. Frightened the life out of us!

Would it be possible to lock his door so that he can't open it when sitting in the front?

Original poster

Eulalia · 04/02/2008 13:07

thanks again everyone. I am pushed for time to find info so didn't look at that site properly. that buckle guard appears to be for an adult seatbelt?

Yes he is getting old enough I agree, although sometimes he seems to think its a game if I get annoyed. it can be difficult to find somewhere to stop and can be dangerous in itself. I was so exhausted on saturday as my other two were fighting in the back and was desparate to get home. ds1 has autism and journeys with him are not good. sometimes wonder if its worth going out with all the hassle!

he is in a bebe comfort which is a seat suitable for up to 18kg. trouble is he is tiny for his age and very slender. he is only 11.5kgs approx. maybe I should look into another seat?

OP posts:

Original poster

Eulalia · 04/02/2008 13:09

I'd forgotten about the door thing! He did this when he was in rear facing as again because he was so small I had to keep him in it till 18 months. fortunately this seat has quite high sides and if he leaves his clipasafe alone he is pushed too far back to reach over. at least in the front I have have supply of books etc to divert him although not msuic/radio as if ds1 in car it causes problems

OP posts:

lauzie · 04/02/2008 13:15

Yes that guard is for an adult seat belt, sorry hadn't realised you were still using car seat harness as my ds is big for his age and in the next stage carseat up using adult belts. Oh well it may help you in a few months!

Flip