my truck (96 dakota)

[petenscary]

I am trying to find out if my truck a 96 dodge dakota is ok to put an infant seat with a base in the front?
There is no passenger air bag. It is a king cab, but not nearly big enough for a baby seat in the back seat.
Is it SAFE to put it in the front, or just acceptable.

[Caviller]

If there is no passenger side airbag, or if an airbag has been disabled, then it would be "acceptable" to put a rear-facing carseat in the front passenger seat.

It is certainly not the safest choice, as the NHTSA and other child passenger safety organizations recommend that ALL children 12 and under ride in the back seat.

If you must put a carseat up front, also make sure the seat is moved as far back as possible. That will minimize the risk of contact with the dash.

[petenscary]

Thanks for your response, I appreciate the time you took to answer my question. Have there been any tests, or are there any stats that you know of, on pickups and baby seats?

[Caviller]

Most carseats are tested on sleds. Tests with specific vehicles are certainly done, but are most likely proprietary and completed by the auto manufacturers.

Sorry I couldn't be of any more help.

[petenscary]

Hey, thanks again for your response!
I am glad I kind of stumbled onto this site, it is a good resource for information that my wife and I have been looking for.
thank you!! pete-

[Caviller]

You can find a trained Child Passenger Safety Techinican through many hospitals, public health departments, local SafeKids coalitions, a few new car dealers as well as police and fire stations. The FAQ link under the top banner has some other resources to find technicians in your area. Many areas have free events on the weekeds, too.

Good luck!