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Parenting

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Original poster

Car seat in the front seat!

25 replies

november90 · 15/10/2020 13:26

Hi everyone just wanting some advice around this.
My 3.5 year old is currently in his car seat in the back. He's a big boy, 3 stone ish and has the car strap across now not the harness. Just wondering is it safe to move him into the front seat with his car seat?
I ask because I also have a 5 month old who is extremely distressed in the back and I think he would be a lot happier and more settled if someone could sit in the back with him (my mum). He gets so upset, it's quite traumatic for everyone in The car!

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Bubblesbubblesmybubbles · 15/10/2020 13:33

I'd put 5m old in the front with airbag off personally :-)

Hathertonhariden · 15/10/2020 13:37

I put ds in a car seat in the front due to his having terrible travel sickness if he was in the back. As it was only ever the two of us in the car it was much safer to both be in the front

Original poster

november90 · 15/10/2020 14:14

Thanks for the replies :)
So it should be safe for either of them shouldn't it? I can't go on like it is now! 😰

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crazychemist · 15/10/2020 14:31

Check regulations, but I’m pretty sure there’s some advice about this (rather than a law) which I looked up which said 4 year olds are generally fine in the front seat even if there is a suitable alternative. If your 3.5 year old is big (sounds bigger than my 4yo, who still fits her harness) then I think it will be fine.

(I looked into this a while ago as I’m expecting twins and only have 2 seats in the back, so DD needs to come in the front. I can’t remember all the regulations but remember that I came to the conclusion that it was legal and safe for her)

Original poster

november90 · 15/10/2020 17:43

I've just learnt I can't manually turn my passenger air bag off 🤦🏼‍♀️ Does this rule everything out 😰

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FirefighterA24 · 15/10/2020 17:48

You do not put children in car seats in the front.

FirefighterA24 · 15/10/2020 17:53

Ahhh presses too soon, 3-12 year olds can sit in the front in a booster seat which has to adhere to safety guidelines, Gov.co.uk has all the latest info where is the safest place to seat your children etc.

Indoctro · 15/10/2020 17:56

If you can't turn airbag off then yes no child under 12 can be in front seat with a airbag I'm afraid.

Mylittlesandwich · 15/10/2020 17:57

The front seat is normally fine for a car seat but as you can't switch off your airbag then it's a no go.

littlestrawby · 15/10/2020 18:02

This fb page (and particular) post has some really good info. But yes unfortunately if you can't turn your airbag off it's a no-go :(

littlestrawby · 15/10/2020 18:04

Should say (and particular post)

MiddleClassMother · 15/10/2020 18:09

Don't put them in the front seat if you can't turn the airbag off, potential disaster.

ScarMatty · 15/10/2020 18:11

@FirefighterA24

You do not put children in car seats in the front.

What a load of tosh! The front seat is perfectly safe with a rear facing seat.

lulupopss · 15/10/2020 18:15

One of my DC asks to go in the front, when I looked it's generally thought to be fine over 4 with the airbag off. Are you sure you can't turn it off?

Prestel · 15/10/2020 18:17

It's illegal to put a rear facing baby seat in the front with an active airbag. I think it's allowed with a forward facing child seat though not desirable. The advice seems to be to push the car seat as far back from the airbag as possible. I wouldn't rely on mumsnet, though. Check the government website or the AA or somewhere else more reliable ;)

Original poster

november90 · 15/10/2020 18:19

I have a Honda Civic 2011 from what I've read online it can't be turned off ☹️
I've read online that over 3 can sit In The front with the seat pushed right back?

OP posts:

Pinkfluffyunicornsdancing · 15/10/2020 18:23

I was reading about this yesterday and came across this. So you would need to put the passenger seat as far back as possible so that if the airbag were to go off then it wouldn't reach the child.
It doesn't state that the airbag had to be off for a from facing child though.

www.kiddies-kingdom.com/blog/uncategorized/what-age-can-a-child-sit-in-the-front-seat-of-a-car#:~:text=In%20the%20UK%20the%20law,or%20back%20of%20the%20car.&text=Children%20under%20the%20age%20of,for%20a%20child's%20car%20seat.

MiddleClassMother · 15/10/2020 19:08

I wouldn't chance that still. I'd prefer then in the backseat even if the airbag is off, unless it's a 3 door/sports car.

Ohalrightthen · 16/10/2020 19:26

Not with an airbag. If they're strapped in, and it goes off, they can potentially suffocate.

ScarMatty · 16/10/2020 19:41

@MiddleClassMother

I wouldn't chance that still. I'd prefer then in the backseat even if the airbag is off, unless it's a 3 door/sports car.

But it's not chancing... The statistics show that with an airbag off it's perfectly safe. There is no chancing

MiddleClassMother · 16/10/2020 21:40

I'll leave that for you to risk. My babies are safely seated in the back, never in the front unless the airbag is off. I don't care how far back the seat is.

crazychemist · 17/10/2020 10:05

Ah, tricky if you can’t switch the airbag off. I suppose if you were 100% certain it wouldn’t reach her it would be a danger, but I don’t know how you would know that (I haven’t a clue how far an air bag reaches!)

Can your mum not sit in the middle between the two car seats? Not sure how big your car/car seats are, so don’t know if that’s practical.

FWIW, it probably wouldn’t be for that long, your younger one will get used to the car seat and may be more easily entertained by big brother soon enough. Can you do lots of little car trips with him to try and get him used to it? Music was pretty crucial for my DD to be accepting of car trips, we had the same CD on over and over again as that kept her attention. Other things that helped my DD were a really big mirror so she could see me/other things and having toys that attached to her car seat that she could chew/handle.

BertieBotts · 26/10/2020 19:45

Check the car's manual. It should say in there what to do WRT a group 2/3 car seat (booster seat with back) and the front seat.

Airbags aren't ideal but it's not the death trap some make it out to be - if the car seat can be pushed back as far as possible and the child is in a properly fitting car seat, not messing around leaning forwards. They don't suffocate, it's a head injury risk as they come out with such a force, but it's much more dangerous for a rear facing child as their head is closer to the inflation point.

For your 5mo, try singing and battery powered fairy lights wrapped around the car seat handle or headrest of back seat. Or look into a larger rear facing seat such as the spin ones.

Lazypuppy · 26/10/2020 19:50

My DD has always been in front at various points. When rear facung i turned air bag off.

How she is 3yo and foreward facung we push the passenger seat as far back as possible.

Check your manual, it ahould have a section about babies and car seats etc

Jdf86 · 27/10/2020 15:03

We have my 2.5 year old in the front in a rear facing seat with the airbag switched off - it's a minikid, really good seat. Car Seat Advice UK group on FB is brilliant for advice

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