Great article on why under 13 in the back seat.

kiloyd · Aug 20, 2016

I finally found the information I have been looking for! I have been wondering WHY children should not sit up front until age 13, besides getting them more adult size so the seat belt fits correctly.

I've been telling my 11 yr old that she can sit up front when she is 12 yrs AND 5' tall. I need to change it to age 13.

http://kckidsdoc.com/back-seat-until-13-why-your-pre-teen-should-get-the-back-seat.html

LISmama810 · Aug 21, 2016

Not a bad attempt, but the vast majority of that article was about why kids need boosters, not why they shouldn't sit in the front.

Some of the other information, like the back seat being farther from the point of a front impact, pertains to everyone, not just kids under 13.

The main reason kids shouldn't be in the front is because of the danger airbags pose to smaller people, especially children. In the early years of airbags, they could be fatal to children and small adults because of how forcefully they deployed.

Advances in airbag technology that controls how forcefully airbags deploy--if at all--for smaller occupants has helped. IIHS also recently published a study showing that the front seat might not be less safe for kids over 8, specifically because so much work has gone into making the front seat safer in general. (The study was more about elderly adults, I think.)

Still, it's easier to recommend 13 (or whatever number) across the board because there's still not a lot of data, and so much of it depends on the particular vehicle.

Athena · Aug 21, 2016

Thanks for posting. I found this informative. I know with all the car seat misuse and lack of booster use, you'd think I shouldn't be surprised, but I've been really surprised by how many kids are riding in the front seat.

kiloyd · Aug 22, 2016

Athena said:
Thanks for posting. I found this informative. I know with all the car seat misuse and lack of booster use, you'd think I shouldn't be surprised, but I've been really surprised by how many kids are riding in the front seat.

Oh my gosh, me too! Especially when the seat belt is high up on their neck!

Great article on why under 13 in the back seat.

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