older kids in the front seat chat

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ginny4

New member

• Mar 2, 2012

• #1

not sure where to put it.....cause it has nothing to do with car seats but rather car safety

when do you find its appropriate to let your child ride in the front seat on a fairly normal basis?

my eldest DS will be 13 in late May. he's a big guy. not huge but very tall. he's got an inch on me & I'm not short. he's 5ft 9in & a good 150lbs. basically adult size. right? he's very much in the middle of puberty.

how ok would you be with him riding in the front on a fairly regular basis?

i have some mixed feelings on it but i'm not sure my mixed feelings is more because that means i have to admit my boy is growing up.

 

kirst

New member

• Mar 2, 2012

• #2

Thats the size of me so I think id be ok with it.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Mar 2, 2012

• #3

15 is the current recommendation. I think, however, I'd let a kid ride up front at 14, maybe even 13. Kids can get learner's permits at 15 here. I want my daughter to have experience seeing things from the front seat before she gets behind the wheel.

 

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babyherder

Well-known member

• Mar 2, 2012

• #4

For safety reasons the recommended age is 15. Learner's permit age is 16 where I live so I'd be fine with waiting until 15. Maybe 14.

 

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Jan06twinmom

New member

• Mar 2, 2012

• #5

Ginny -

Can your DS ride in the front seat just on occasion - like when you are transporting an extra person and need the space in the back for younger/smaller kids?

Here's my reasoning - I know that the back seat is safer for everyone including adults. When we have a group of adults going somewhere in the car, I usually sit in the back because I know it is the safer position in the car. In general, I'm hoping to get my kids used to just riding in the back seat as long as possible since it is safer.

Melanie

 

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ginny4

New member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #6

i didn't know 15 yo is the current recommendation. where can i find that info? i want to prove it to my DS that its in his best interest. thanks

He has ridden up front a handful of times when it was necessary. I admit that i allowed the front seat a couple times this week on the way to school but my gut was telling me that wasn't the best idea just yet. He's driving me batty about the front seat all.the.time. & asks me to prove to him that he's not legal. I'm taller than you. blah blah blah..... yeah a pain in the ass teenager. LOL i don't know what to say to him other than "because i said so".

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Mar 3, 2012

• #7

I thought the recommendation was 12 or 13, depending on the source. I've never heard 15. That seems overly conservative to me, especially since (as was pointed out) many places give permits then.

I'd be fine with a 13-year-old up front, and possibly a 12-year-old depending on size and whether the car has advanced airbags.

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Mar 3, 2012

• #8

I believe I heard it from Safety Belt Safe but I am NOT sure about that - don't hold it against them if I'm wrong lol, just a direction to look. Either that or a CHOP study of some sort, maybe w the latest booster or car seat effectiveness study?

Anyways, I recall that new rec as being "driving age." It could be that it was "age 15, which works well since it's often driving age" and I only remembered the latter part, though.

 

Brianna

New member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #9

This is the article that states 15 http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/airbags_teens.html I think it's been discussed that this likely used older generation air bags that don't deploy based on the weight of the occupant.

Sent from my DROID4 using Car-Seat.Org

 

aeormsby

New member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #10

IMO I think size is as important if not more so than age. For a 13yo who is bigger than many adults I know I would have no problem having them sit in the front. If it's a smaller person/child I would wait until 14-15 (closer to driving age).

 

Kobain's Mommy

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #11

aeormsby said:

IMO I think size is as important if not more so than age. For a 13yo who is bigger than many adults I know I would have no problem having them sit in the front. If it's a smaller person/child I would wait until 14-15 (closer to driving age).

Click to expand...

That!

 

Brianna

New member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #12

Isn't puberty the most important? I guess size would be related to puberty...

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Jillybeans5

Active member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #13

I let my 13.5 yr old sit in the front seat on a regular basis. He is 6'1" and 165 lbs and shaves. I feel confident that he is far enough through puberty and big enough for sure. I will not let my just turned 12 DD sit up there though and she is 5'4", 105 lbs and in early puberty. I will reassess when she is 13.

 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor

• Mar 3, 2012

• #14

I know NHTSA's current recommendation is 13, and I thought AAP's was too, as of the March 2011 update. We are another state with permits and 15, and I would be perfectly fine with a 13 year old, 5'9" teen in the front on a regular basis. Of course, we are all safer in the back, but that isn't always possible.

 

NannyMom

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #15

As far as I know, safe kids says 13, and I think NHTSA and AAP do too. Age 13 is for bone strength to handle the airbags. After that I'd look at size.

 

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purplemama

New member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #16

I let my 5'6" 120# (could be bigger, OMG he's growing soooo fast) 13 year old ride in the front if DH isn't with us.
I'm not 100% comfortable with it. He's about done with puberty and is the size of an adult. But I know it's not as safe as the back seat.
It was a difficult decsion to make. I felt he had the right to be part of that decsion. It was almost like turning my 4 yr old FF. I knew RF was still safer and he still fit, but we made the decsion to FF.
I guess it depends on your comfort level with it and your willingness to do battle about it.

 

soygurl

Active member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #17

At that age and size, I would let him ride in the front without a second though. :twocents:

After age 12, I think size and puberty are much more important that age. A child who is the size and weight of an average adult, and who has entered puberty is certainly big enough to not be harmed by an airbag.

Also, several PPs have mentioned that "the back seat is always safer" but that isn't necessarily true! Many newer cars have advanced seat belt technology (pretensioners and load limiters), but often only in the front. This, combined with advanced airbags, actually make the FRONT seat safer for adults. At least according to crash test results. Of course, I've totally forgotten where I read about this, but it logically makes sense. Obviously, this doesn't apply to older vehicles which lack these safety features, so check your vehicle owner's manual to be sure.

 

sirrahn

Active member

• Mar 3, 2012

• #18

I wouldn't think twice about it. My oldest DS has been riding up front fairly regularly for over a year now. By the time he was bigger than me (and that's not saying a whole lot since I'm 5'1" and about 115lbs) and fit very well in the seatbelt, I felt there wasn't much argument.

I have no idea exactly how big he is now, but he's shaving and has become very useful for getting stuff out of the top kitchen cabinets LOL!