Up in front

Filed in archive Safety on September 17, 2008

Today we passed some friends on the road and their daughter, who is no more than two months older than ours, was in the front passenger's side seat. Since my daughter is heading towards 11 years old, I've noticed a lot of her friends seem to be riding in the front seat of their parents' cars. Hayley will try to talk me into it but I'm not ready to move her up there yet.

The laws for car seats are more widely known. We see PSAs about them regularly. Like most states, in our state the law for sitting in a car seat was eight years old or eighty pounds. Well even now she's still 20 pounds away from that but around nine we did remove the car booster seat. I figured since she was small, an extra year would be a good thing and she didn't mine because she saw better out the windows. I have a sports-Utility vehicle so one more year in booster in car with a larger interior couldn't hurt.

I was curious what the laws were here for moving to the front seat:

* If the child is age 5 or older, OR
* If the child weighs at least 40 pounds, OR
* If the vehicle does not have an active passenger side air bag, OR
* If the vehicle does not have a rear seat where the child restraint can be installed. Note however, that children in rear facing child safety seats should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger side air bag. The child will be seriously injured or killed if there is a crash and the air bag deploys.

I don't have side airbags but I'm still not convinced this is a good idea so I read further on their 'recommended':

* All children age 12 and under should ride buckled up in a rear seat.
* Infants in rear facing child safety seats should NEVER ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger side air bag.
* Small children should ride in a rear seat in full harness type child safety seats appropriate for their age and size.
* Larger children should ride in a rear seat in a belt positioning booster until large enough for the lap and shoulder belt to fit correctly.
* If a child over one year old MUST ride in the front seat with a passenger side air bag, put the child in a front facing full harness child restraint, a belt-positioning booster seat, or a correctly fitting lap and shoulder belt - AND move the seat as far back as possible.
* If a child age 12 or younger MUST ride in the front seat with a passenger side air bag, have an air bag on/off switch installed and turn the air bag off when the child in in the front seat.

That all seems logical and I'm content with keeping her back there until she is 12 but I'm wondering why so many other people are already moving their kids up there now.

Besides at least if she is in the back, she can't turn to a different radio stations or change the CD.