Older Children in the Front Seat

Hi K.,

You're not missing anything. Children under a certain height and weight (I think it is 5 feet and 100 pounds) should ride in the back because of the air bags. Under that size and the air bag deployment in an accident could actually injure them severely.

I think the back seat is just safer anyway. (statistics prove it) I do realize some parents do not always follow this rule. Perhaps they do not know; or perhaps they have an air bag they can switch off or no air bag at all. Often times I think they simple do not have enough seats in the rear and they have put the largest child in front with the seat as far back as it can go. But, you are correct, small children should be in the back seat usually with a car seat or booster seat.

I guess we all have occasion when the ideal is not met, but I would like to think it is not the routine. What bothers me most is the double standard by which the cities and towns and states live. Everyone knows that seatbelts save lives, yet routinely very small children are transported to and from school as well as field trips unsecured, over excited, and with minimal supervision. The powers that be will try to convince you it is because it would be difficult to evacuate the bus in event of a fire. The real truth is if there are seat belts it would slow down pick-ups and drop-offs as well as pose a liability to the city or town because if there were seat belts and they were not in use and a child became injured the city or town would be open to litigation.

Bottom line for me, if seat belts are statistically that much safer why are we concerned about what our neighbors are doing and not asking more questions when put our own children on the school bus each day. We are more independant thinking then just lambs being led to the slaughter aren't we? Let's think more about what we do and not just follow some arbitrary rule. Calculated risks are taken every single day and not just by the people down the street.

J. L.

J. L.

Yes, they should not be in the front seat until 12 years old AND at least 80 lbs. I too constantly see people with their small children in the front seat of their car. I also constantly see people with children who are not wearing seatbelts in the back seat. I just don't understand how people who most likely put gates on their stairways, locks on their cabinets and kept poisons out of reach can consciously put their children in harm's way like this. The "it won't happen to me" mentality is very frightening. I have worked with several children who were head injured from being ejected from vehicles because they were not buckled in. You cannot imagine the guilt of those parents. But then it's too late. So please, buckle up your kids properly, make them wear helmets for their bikes, skates, skateboards, etc. If you make it a habit now, it will become a life long habit. I don't want to see another kid in a persistent vegetative state or severely head injured from an easily PREVENTABLE accident. They only get one brain, one body and one life and while they are young it is our job to protect those things.

Hi K. -

I think that the 'warning' on child car seats says that the 'safest place for children under 10 is in the back seat'. My husband lets our 7 year old sit in the front seat, which drives me batty, but when you think about it what is really the difference between sitting in the back or the front? Dashboard, vs back of a seat in a crash -- not really a huge difference there as far as I can tell. I think it really comes down to personal comfort level - if you're not comfortable having your kids in the front seat then don't let them sit there. :)

I am horrified too at how many people do this! My neighbor constantly does.. I want to rat him out so bad! I am such a stickler on them sitting in back in seatbelts and carseats..amazing that someone would take their child's life in their hands like that - those air bags deploy at pretty low impacts sometimes..