Car Seat in the front -do you?

**donna-j** · 21-11-2011, 10:44pm

Well said Kate. I am surprised at how many of you think it is ok,

**Chocolate Lips** · 21-11-2011, 10:51pm

Originally Posted by *kate*

Please don't.

As per my other thread, I've had a car crash today into my passenger side. If one of the kids had been in the passenger seat they'd have been injured for certain. Even if they hadnt, they'd have been extremely frightened.

I've learned a lesson today.

But that could have happened in the back as well?

We rarely put them in the front, perhaps once or twice a year. We don't really have to need to.

**Helski** · 21-11-2011, 10:51pm

Originally Posted by Gojira

I can't find a crystal clear website (other then the actual law!) about car safety in the front -does anyone know of one?

:nope: I searched and searched for one a few years back when I was still childminding and had this issue. It does seem that it's legal but nowhere near as safe as the back.

Both mine go in the back. End of. There's no need to use the front seat so I don't. And where would I put my bag, phone, choccies etc otherwise!!

- the front seat is my little table!

It's one of those, "I don't care what (so and so) does, you're not doing it"

**donna-j** · 21-11-2011, 10:53pm

Why are airbags dangerous for children?

Airbags were made to protect adults weighing about 75kg.
They are very powerful when they're inflated, and they're placed so low that a child placed in front of an airbag may suffocate or be severely injured by the impact of a rapidly inflating airbag.
If your child is younger than 12 years, they must never sit in a front-seat with an active airbag in front of them. When your child is over 12 and wants to sit in the front seat, move the seat as far back as possible.
A child seat must never be fitted in the front passenger seat, if the car has a passenger side airbag. Some cars enable the driver to switch off the airbag. But it should be switched on again, when an adult is using the seat.

**Chocolate Lips** · 21-11-2011, 10:55pm

Don't most cars have a switch to turn the air bags off?

**Ruby** · 21-11-2011, 10:57pm

I don't let mine in the front. I have, once or twice, if we have been shipping other children but I don't like it.

**donna-j** · 21-11-2011, 11:00pm

Originally Posted by Chocolate Lips

Don't most cars have a switch to turn the air bags off?

No most need to go back to the garage to get this done.

**alex** · 21-11-2011, 11:03pm

My 11 year old sits in the front and the (almost) 7 year old, 4 year old and 8 month old are all in the back. If dh is in the car with us then dd1 (11) sits in the boot!

**Miffy** · 21-11-2011, 11:05pm

Originally Posted by donna-j

Airbags were made to protect adults weighing about 75kg.

Well I'm screwed then. I only weigh about 50ish kg (when not pg!!)

I would not put mine in the front. It's not worth the risk. I know of an adult that was quite badly injured by an airbag in a 30mph accident.
When we bought my car, even though I was pg with R, there was the thought of 3 children so we went for a car that you can get 3 seats along the back.
I have had several cars you can't switch the airbag off.

**Samba** · 21-11-2011, 11:14pm

I can turn my airbags off by turning the key in a switch accessed when the door is opened. I take another child to school 3 days a week, so my elder child goes in the front with the airbag off. I most certainly would not be happy about him beingn there without the airbag being switched off.

If its just the two of them, they automactically go in the back.

As I understand it, the force of an airbag going off on a child can push the nasal bones back into the skull, and its this that can cause death, rather than the crash. I have no idea on statistics, but its an image that makes me very cautious.