Do you let your 4 yr old sit in the front seat?

[SniffyHock]

If so, can you recommend a great carseat?

We are expecting number 3 and I have found that I can't turn off my front airbags so can't put the rear-facing seat in the front. This means that I will need to put DS (4.5) in the front but I am a bit nervous about it. I have read up on it and see that it is legal but is it safe??

He currently has a maxi-cosi high back booster but it doesn't seem to have much side protection - can anyone recommend any other type? Many thanks.

an air bag can kill a child if it goes off (suffocate them as they aren't tall enough)

do NOT put a child in the front seat with an air bag on

see here

get a Volvo XC90

Mira's right, it's terribly dangerous to put a child in the front seat with an airbag. Can you phone a couple of garages and see if they can turn the airbag off for you?

We can get three normal front facing car seats in to the back seat of our renault scenic.

and it has shit loads of space in it, I mean shit loads, and it really doesn't feel that big to drive.
We're expecting dc 3 in March

Thank you all.

Have been to look at an Audi Q7 and will go to see the Volvo too. We live down a very bumpy farm track so really need a 4x4. We did look at the Grand Voyager (new one as preious NCAP was shocking) but am not sure it would be great on country roads (Kids loved it).
DH has got an ancient Land Cruiser which has 7 seats but I am incapable of driving it!! Am toying with the idea of that being our family car and me getting a little Golf or something so I can turn off the front airbags and use it for school run etc.

I love my Lexus and am really loathe to lose it and lose a lot of money in the process .
Damn the MAP

I just wouldn't personally put any child in the front seat, even with air bag off - it is proven to be safer in the back

Volvo is 4x4 7 seater and really safe

How do you seat them Mamamira? Eldest in the back? Can he/she get in if there is a carseat in front? (if that makes sense)

I was told that the airbag going off is like being punched very hard in the stomach. An adult can cope with it but in a child it may cause internal injuries which could I suppose kill them.

I didn't know this until recently and wont put any of mine in the front now, just struggle fitting them all in the back.

Sniffy

Would this carseat (or similar) be a possibility for your dd? A high back booster but with 5 point harness, and if it is like the one my ds had, the belt fastens it in like it does on a normal 5 seat harness seat IYSWIM. I don't know whether it will affect the 'buckle crunch' factor in your car.

5 point harness seat, even

(knew I should have proof read)

We have a Citroen Picasso which has three proper seats in the back.

We have three x Britax Kids in there but originally DS2 was in a stage 1 mega-seat and it was fine.

Personally I only put someone in the front if I have four children in - and then it's the biggest and I turn off the airbag (with a key).

Lots of people I know put the children in the front anyway - I think it's odd as they are always safer in the back - but there you go. It's not illegal.

Thanks for that Lonely - someone earlier said that Halfords are really good so I might pay them a visit and see what they can fit in.
Clary - can your children still manage to strap themselves in? I also know lots of people who use the front seat een though they don't need to (2 children) but it has never seemed right to me.

DS1 is 9 and dd is 7 and they can do it. Ds2 is now 5 and needs to be done by us (esp if they are all in) but can undo himself.

I notice that if we carry another child (as one does) they can never manage to do or undo themselves so I guess mine have got used to it. It's certainly a knack as you can't see, have to do it by feel.