Riding in the passenger seat

[Anonymous]

We did 12.

[Anonymous]

The car manufacturers themselves say no one under 13 should be in the front passenger seat. Go look at the visor on that side -- fold it down and I bet you will find that directive.

I actually just looked this up b/c my very small son just turned 13. I had trouble finding height and weight requirements or advisements -- but what I did find said at least 4'9" and 80 lbs. They said if your child is small, they should sit in the back or at least push the front seat back as far as possible. Also, it is better if your car has the "smart" airbags -- which change deployment based on weight. But, I did read about the hip bones of younger/smaller kids not being developed enough to absorb the pressure of the seatbelt in an accident.

So, I definitely would wait until 13 as the car makers say. And then if your kid is 80+ lbs, it's probably o.k. My kid isn't 80 lbs -- so we are keeping him in the back.

[Anonymous]

Lighten up Francis.

[Anonymous]

Short family here.

My 14 year old is 90 lbs, and not quite tall enough for correct front seat-belt positioning, so we're going to wait a little bit more.

A friend of mine in her 50s is also 90 lbs. Since she's an adult, I let her decide where she wants to sit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Short family here.

My 14 year old is 90 lbs, and not quite tall enough for correct front seat-belt positioning, so we're going to wait a little bit more.

A friend of mine in her 50s is also 90 lbs. Since she's an adult, I let her decide where she wants to sit

Forgot to say, his bone age is 12 - so his skeletal frame is not mature enough for the front seat anyway.

[Anonymous]

12

[Anonymous]

My 12-year-old, who is now 5'7" and 140 lbs, rides in the front seat. Seat pushed all the way back. She is taller than I am and weighs roughly the same, and started riding in the front seat for soccer car pool last year (with three other girls in the back). We have pretty much transitioned to the front seat at all times now.

[Anonymous]

My 13 YO as no interest in sitting in the front. I think she is afraid I might talk to her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IRL I saw every 5th grader last year in the front in our neighborhood and some 3rd graders. Those are the ages of my kids. My oldest started regularly doing so when he was 11 and was over 100 pounds. My younger child still sits in the back even though some friends sit in the front of their parent’s cars.

Mine is going into 5th and still in a booster and has never nor will be in the front seat. That's why I don't let mine ride with others often.

Never? I'm sure the MVA will frown on that when he/she goes to get his/her drivers license test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 12-year-old, who is now 5'7" and 140 lbs, rides in the front seat. Seat pushed all the way back. She is taller than I am and weighs roughly the same, and started riding in the front seat for soccer car pool last year (with three other girls in the back). We have pretty much transitioned to the front seat at all times now.

Why as far back as possible? So she can break her neck if the airbag goes off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 12-year-old, who is now 5'7" and 140 lbs, rides in the front seat. Seat pushed all the way back. She is taller than I am and weighs roughly the same, and started riding in the front seat for soccer car pool last year (with three other girls in the back). We have pretty much transitioned to the front seat at all times now.

Why as far back as possible? So she can break her neck if the airbag goes off?

Not first pp, but I don't think you understand. By pushing the seat back (i.e. away from the dash), there is more room for the aurbag to deploy and NOT hit the kid when it inflates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IRL I saw every 5th grader last year in the front in our neighborhood and some 3rd graders. Those are the ages of my kids. My oldest started regularly doing so when he was 11 and was over 100 pounds. My younger child still sits in the back even though some friends sit in the front of their parent’s cars.

Mine is going into 5th and still in a booster and has never nor will be in the front seat. That's why I don't let mine ride with others often.

That seems to be . . . excessive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IRL I saw every 5th grader last year in the front in our neighborhood and some 3rd graders. Those are the ages of my kids. My oldest started regularly doing so when he was 11 and was over 100 pounds. My younger child still sits in the back even though some friends sit in the front of their parent’s cars.

Mine is going into 5th and still in a booster and has never nor will be in the front seat. That's why I don't let mine ride with others often.

That seems to be . . . excessive.

That's because pp is a troll.

[Anonymous]

I have 4 kids, currently they are 19, 17, 15 and 13. Each of them had to wait until they were 13 to ride in the front. Height/weight didn't matter; all of them were taller and heavier than me before they were 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 12-year-old, who is now 5'7" and 140 lbs, rides in the front seat. Seat pushed all the way back. She is taller than I am and weighs roughly the same, and started riding in the front seat for soccer car pool last year (with three other girls in the back). We have pretty much transitioned to the front seat at all times now.

Why as far back as possible? So she can break her neck if the airbag goes off?

She won't break her neck if there is a headrest at the right height for her head.

DD is 7 and in a backless booster in the back. My goal is 13 for the front seat. I may relent at 11 for middle school.