Sitting in the front seat

AmyKat

New member
Does anyone have any good criteria to go by for when you allow a child to sit in the front seat?

My stepson is 12 1/2 and small for his age (I don't know his exact measurements). We have always made him sit in the backseat and he is now the last of his friends that doesn't sit up front. It's not a big deal but I would like to give him some concrete height/weight guidelines.

Thanks!

Amy
 
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bethng

Active member
my dd started sitting in the front when she was 12. We just had the last baby and I needed him in the dc in the captians chair for easy access. I have to seperate dd#2 and dd#3 due to bickering so dd#2 sits in the other captians chair and dd#3 sits in the 3rd row in her dc. My 12 year old was about 1" shorter then me and was about 100 or so pounds.
 

Jordynsmama

New member
I started letting the kid I nanny for ride in the front when he was about 14! LOL. He was 12 when I started and sat in the back unless he had to sit in front. I pushed the seat back as far as it would go and I still do. He is about 5'2 now so he is still pretty short. At that time he was only about 5 ft and not even 100 pounds.
 

Morganthe

New member
For me, it would be a minimum age of 12, but I'd go more by height/weight stats around that age.
A small 12 -- back seat... But if it was a 12 year old like I was -- 5'2 - I'd probably not worry at all, especially with adjustable seatbelts.

I have to say it crossed my mind about dangers with my just turned-15 sister in law sitting in the front seat of my car during our visit.
Then I got real :doh:
At 5'9 1/2, she's taller than I am :p
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
The guideline you're looking for is when they're learning to drive. Even adults are safer in the back seat. Prior to learning to drive they do not need to be in the front.
Last year a study came out that showed that front seat occupants under 15 or so are something like 75% more likely to be injured in a crash.

My eldest is 11 (He'll be 12 next July) and he won't be riding in the front seat for a long time.
 

Morganthe

New member
The guideline you're looking for is when they're learning to drive. Even adults are safer in the back seat. Prior to learning to drive they do not need to be in the front.

I can agree with that, but I honestly don't think I'll be waiting until she's 15 or 16 to move dd forward. I want her extremely aware of what's going on with traffic and possibly to even help me out a little with a second pair of eyes. Hey, I'll be around 50by that time. :p

I figure I can unofficially start driver's training with non-teaching and instill safety habits long before the actual day of licensing practice begins. That's what my mom did with me. We really worked as a pair of drivers even though I didn't drive until 18.

I truly believe that sitting next to her instead of in the back woke me out of my kid dreaminess and has saved me from possible accidents all these years/miles of driving.

But we'll see. Who knows what will happen in the next 8-12 years? :shrug-shoulders:
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
Good point Morganthe, I was all set to say not until they are ready to drive, or there is some other pressing reason, but that is an excellent idea. Of course they will pick up more about driving skills in the front, and really I would be fine with that I guess given that they were approaching average adult size. My DS at 10 is already the same size as his great grandma (and obviously she rides in the front - up on her little cushion, still driving at the age of 93:eek:). My DS 10 also rides in the front of DH's truck, because the alternative would be a lap belt with no headrest up against the glass of the rear seat. I know kids are safer in the backseat, but in that case, I really think he is safer in the front seat (airbag keyed off). As far as in my van, I'm not really sure, 12 might be a bit soon for me, but maybe not at the rate he is growing, he may well be bigger than me by the time he is 12:rolleyes:
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
That is your choice - you are her parent, but I can say with certainty my twelve year old will NOT be sitting in the front seat next year.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Driving age.... As has already been pointed out, even adults are 40-86% safer in the back :twocents: My 5 year old is already very aware of traffic & basic driving safety rules from the backseat ;) She can see + attempt to read every sign that I can see, knows what 4 way stops are all about, warns me of cars at intersections, etc. *I* always sit in the back when possible (it's easier when there's at least 3 people in the group, otherwise the driver would just think I'm crazy alone in the back with the front seat empty :whistle::p) The only time any child, especially those under at least 13 years old, should go in the front is as a last resort when every other attempt to fit in the backseat has proven unacceptable. We can usually help parents figure out how to rearrange carseats to prevent any child from prematurely sitting in the front.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Thomas has been riding in the front seat for very particular occusions since he was 11. Not going to squabble on that - it was the only seat left over after the ones in the back were taken.

One thing I did learn, though, was that it's not JUST about physical maturity. Thomas went through a stage where he wanted to fiddle with the emergency brake. :eek: Imagine going down the highway at 75mph and hearing "click click click click," and looking down to find that the kid next to you has his hand wrapped around the e-brake so he can play with the release button. Not currently harming anything, but if he decides to pull up, things could get interesting very quickly! I would never in a million years have thought this would be an issue for him; at 11 he had a good understanding of following rules. I'd have sworn he had the "maturity" to keep his hands to himself. But, everything in the front seat was new to him, and he was just fidgety on a long drive. After a very serious explanation about why I needed him to keep his hands completely away from the e-brake, it didn't happen again, but once was enough.

Now whenever I see younger kids in the front seat, that's my first thought. "Why would you WANT your kid in the front?!" Kids just fiddle with things, that's their job, but doing it in the front seat while the vehicle's in motion definitely isn't safe!
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Now whenever I see younger kids in the front seat, that's my first thought. "Why would you WANT your kid in the front?!" Kids just fiddle with things, that's their job, but doing it in the front seat while the vehicle's in motion definitely isn't safe!

Excellent point!!!

When I had a 1999 Chevy Blazer + family of 5, the only safe way to transport all 3 kids at once was to leave the other adult at home & have the oldest kid in front because the rear center belt was lap only for which the vehicle manual warned never to install a carseat with :)eek::thumbsdown:) Leila was 1-3 yrs old RF in Wizard, big sis was 4-7 yrs old in Husky & big bro was 7-10 yrs old: he passed the 5 Step Test, already too big to fit any boosters at the time.... The vehicle manufacturer did not allow having a tether anchor installed for use of an EZOn harness with the lap belt, so he had to sit up front & in addition to moving the seat base all the way back, I had to make him engage the locking shoulder belt retractor to keep from leaning forward/sideways in his desire to fiddle with everything.
 

AmyKat

New member
All the airbag warning labels on our cars say "12 and under" should not ride in the front seat. I had always told him that he needed to be 13 before I would even consider it. That mark is rapidly approaching and I still don't feel right with him being in the front seat.

Last night, however, it was one of those times where there wasn't another choice due to space restrictions. He got to ride up front with his dad and they both loved it. DH said he really felt like it allowed him to talk to DSS more like an adult. We both think DSS needs to be up front to learn his way around town but we had agreed that 14 would be early enough for that.

After last night, we were just questioning our decision. I thought there might be some more concrete measurement rather than "over 12" but it sounds like it really is a parental decision.

Thanks for all the input.

Amy
 

Suzibeck

Active member
I'd prefer to wait until 14 or 15, but my 11 yo rides in the front for carpool. Dh does drop off and the neighbor's 3 smaller kids ride in the backseat of his Jetta and dd rides in the front. She is 5'1" and weighs 106 lbs. I'm not happy with it, but I simply cannot handle getting up early enough to drive her to school right now. Even with my HG very well controlled through meds, I just can't do early mornings.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I agree, when there isn't another option that's one thing. Before we got the boys' Parkways CJ had no choice - he *had* to ride in the front. There simply was no way for him to FIT in the back of my Jeep. But when there is a spot available in the back seat, the back seat it is, and I avoid putting myself in the position of needing to have him in the front.
 

Niea

New member
Personally, I'm okay with children riding in the front seat at 12-13 years, provided that the seatbelt and everything fits them correctly and that they don't fiddle with stuff!

I'm the same height I was when I was 12 (5'0" or 4'11", depending). I've gained 40lbs or so and am, obviously, more mature, but seatbelts don't fit me any better today than they did back then. Thank goodness there are more cars on the market with adjustable seats and seatbelts.

But I will also say that I started driving at 14 with a learner's permit and got my full license at 15. Sitting up front for a couple of years really helped me understand the rules better.
 

southpawboston

New member
But I will also say that I started driving at 14 with a learner's permit and got my full license at 15. Sitting up front for a couple of years really helped me understand the rules better.

i tend to agree. by keeping your kids in the back until they turn 16, they are safer. but then when they become young drivers, they are at a disadvantage of not having experienced a front-row view of the world. so they may not be as safe as early drivers as if they had had that experience.
 
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AmyKat

New member
I measured DSS this afternoon. He's 4'8 & 72 pounds. He's really small compared to the other kids mentioned in this post. He's permanantly in the backseat again.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I'm one that tends to say unless they have to be up front, why put them there? AJ has ridden up front a few times, mostly in DH's work truck, but of course always harnessed so it's a little different.

I got my permit at 14 as well (same height I am now) and I'm sure I rode up front before then, but I honestly don't remember it. So whether it made me a better driver, who knows? I tend to be a very 'spacey' person, so unless it pertains to me in the car I don't pay attention to it. I seriously doubt I learned anything in the front seat of the car before I started driving and seeing as how AJ is very much like me in that way, I doubt sitting up front will do much for him either.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
i tend to agree. by keeping your kids in the back until they turn 16, they are safer. but then when they become young drivers, they are at a disadvantage of not having experienced a front-row view of the world. so they may not be as safe as early drivers as if they had had that experience.

Well, seeing as there is a huge push to move the driving age to 18, I think that's not necessarily a valid point. And there's no evidence at all to suggest that that might be the case anyway. However there is a great deal of evidence that it is harmful to be in the front seat in a crash. A young teen is 75% more likely to suffer serious injury when in the front seat vs the back. I'm not willing to take that risk on the very remote possibility that they need to be in the front seat before getting their learner's permit to learn to drive.
 

beeman

Active member
Well, I've got a standard cab 1/2 ton, so its front seat or nothing (no airbag). I think that the vehicle that is being used makes a big difference. In my 1/2 ton I wouldn't have a problem with a kid of any age riding in the front, and would feel that they are sufficiently safe, whereas a small car I don't even feel safe riding in the front. It also depends on what kind of road hazards you are dealing with. If you are driving in a region with large wildlife such as moose or buffalo, then it is most definitely necessary they ride in the backseat.
 

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