Is it legal for a child to travel in the front seat if an air bag is installed?

[figleaf]

Just checking as my tot is going home for tea with a friend. She has a front air bag and is going to put one child in the front and my child plus her other 2 in the back.I've got it in my head that it is illegal unless the child is 14. Am I correct? Even if it isnt illegal it probably isnt advisable is it?

[Enide]

very dangerous

my car has a passenger airbag but you can switch it off

I think it is illegal to carry a baby in a rear facing car seat

[hana]

it's just not safe to put a child in the front with an airbag ( I wouldn't even do it with the airbag switched off)

[starlover]

it isn't illegal... but if she is going to have one in the front then she should make sure the seat is back as far as possible
and put the oldest child in the front seat

[DumbledoresGirl]

Not necessarily the oldest child - surely it should be the largest child, as so much of this is to do with weight and position in relation to the airbag? Or am I wrong there?

[NotQuiteCockney]

It's unsafe, but not illegal.

Can't she disable the airbag?

[Twiglett]

its f'ing dangerous and if she has someone just bump her in the back which sets off her airbug it could end up killing a child

I wouldn't let my child in a car with someone who had that kind of plan

[starlover]

i guess... i suppose i was assuming that the oldest was the largest/heaviest.

i think i would try and avoid putting one in the front if they were in a car seat... as that makes them further forward

[figleaf]

This is very much what I thought about the safety. No she cant turn the air bag off it is an older model car. It is her oldest she plans to put in the front but hes only 6. I am concerned because I would feel responsible if her tot was hurt due to my tot sitting in his usual spot. <br /> Ill have a little think and see if I can find away round this. Thanks all for a speedy answer.

[Notquitesotiredmum]

Oh, I thought that it was OK if the child wasn't in a car seat. I'm hijacking this thread for myself now. Is an airbag dangerous for a six year old in a front seat without a booster or car seat? Being smaller and therefore further back than an adult, aren't they less squished by an airbag than an adult would be?

Any advice v. welcome

[Calista]

I think it's because the child's head is lower than an adults would be. It takes the force of the airbag if it was to go off and there is a risk of suffocation.

[mousiemousie]

Kids are too fragile to be hit by the force of an an airbag, whether or not they are on a booster seat. Sliding the seat right back is better than nothing but I still wouldn't allow this myself.

[emmawill]

I thought if was only very dangerous for babies in rear facing carseats as some cars have rear airbags. But not sure my cars too old to have any airbags

[NotQuiteCockney]

No, it's dangerous for anyone small, really, to be in a seat with a front airbag. (I think rear ones, for side impact protection, are different. But I'm not 100% sure, tbh.)

Plenty of people 5' or under are killed by airbags every year. I think their chests get collapsed, but I'm not sure.

[Whizzz]

\link{http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/\link to website here}

[NannyL]

it techincally is legal (tho wont be legal for baby seats later this year)

However if they are in a crash the child could die so why take that risk??

[NannyL]

Not quite so tired mum... the emssage on my old families car was "Children under 12 can be killed by the airbag"

[NannyL]

Sorry to post again... (just reading whole thread nor)

a 6 year old should be in a car seat... and when it becoems ilegal for baby seats to be on air bag seats it will also be illegal for children under 10 years (or 135cm) to not have a child seat.

adult seatbelts are designed for adults ie people over 5ft and 36kg