At what age did your kids sit in the front seat of the car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

No. People like to make their own laws around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

No. People like to make their own laws around here.

It's the law in my car. 12 and under, you must be properly buckled in back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12

I have 4 kids, and right now two of them are older than 12, and two of them are younger than 12. They don't even ask to sit in front--even the older ones. I have no idea why, but they prefer to sit in the back.

So you can't socialize with them or read their texts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted. It used to be 12, they raise it to 13 last year. It has nothing to do with how tall or big the kids are, their bone structure and density is different than an adult. Not only that, even in minor car crashes, the front air bag deployed can knock a kid pretty hard. Airbags are made for the minimum, which to the manufacturers, is a 165 lb grown men.

Once they move up there, make sure the seat is all the way back if no one is behind them. If someone is, minimum halfway back. Always buckled tight with minimal clothing (no bulky coats)

I highly doubt kids will remember and hate you for making them ride in the back seat. But even if they do, at least they are alive to hate you. Think of your worse case scenario in an MVA and think where would you want your kids in that vehicle. You don't get a do-over in life.

Signed,
National CPS certified Mom of 4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted.

Does anyone seriously make 14-16 year olds sit in back?

[Anonymous]

I've got three kids... 3, 8, and 9. The 8 and 9 year olds trade off for who gets to sit in the front seat of my Honda Civic. It is most definitely not against the law. That's laughable. Why do you think they make the air bags automatically shut off when a child is in the front seat? The olders are still in backless boosters and the 3 year old's car seat takes up a lot of space in the backseat. So one has to be in the front seat. Not a big deal in our family.

[Anonymous]

10 or 11. I don't know any parents who waited until 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted.

Does anyone seriously make 14-16 year olds sit in back?

How is my 15.5 year old with his permit supposed to get driving experience from the back seat?

Safety is good, but there comes a point where it gets a bit ridiculous.

There are always risks in life and you can't avoid them all. I go by height and turn off the airbags.

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, suggested minimum "safe" height for front seat is 5 foot two. Obviously, this would rule out some adults but is the metric I plan on using for my kids who are on the tallish size.

[Anonymous]

I plan to wait until 13; we go by the book when it comes to safety. No negotiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted. It used to be 12, they raise it to 13 last year. It has nothing to do with how tall or big the kids are, their bone structure and density is different than an adult. Not only that, even in minor car crashes, the front air bag deployed can knock a kid pretty hard. Airbags are made for the minimum, which to the manufacturers, is a 165 lb grown men.

Once they move up there, make sure the seat is all the way back if no one is behind them. If someone is, minimum halfway back. Always buckled tight with minimal clothing (no bulky coats)

I highly doubt kids will remember and hate you for making them ride in the back seat. But even if they do, at least they are alive to hate you. Think of your worse case scenario in an MVA and think where would you want your kids in that vehicle. You don't get a do-over in life.

Signed,
National CPS certified Mom of 4

Other mom of 4 (the one with two older than 12, two younger than 12) here. I didn't realize they updated it to 13--last I heard was 12 so that is what I was going by, not that it makes a difference for my family since they don't want to sit in front anyway

Thanks for the info!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've got three kids... 3, 8, and 9. The 8 and 9 year olds trade off for who gets to sit in the front seat of my Honda Civic. It is most definitely not against the law. That's laughable. Why do you think they make the air bags automatically shut off when a child is in the front seat? The olders are still in backless boosters and the 3 year old's car seat takes up a lot of space in the backseat. So one has to be in the front seat. Not a big deal in our family.

You put your kid in a booster in a the front seat of a car? WTF. There are plenty of car seats that can fit 3 across, even in a Honda Civic. You just didn't care to research it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted.

Does anyone seriously make 14-16 year olds sit in back?

How is my 15.5 year old with his permit supposed to get driving experience from the back seat?

Safety is good, but there comes a point where it gets a bit ridiculous.

There are always risks in life and you can't avoid them all. I go by height and turn off the airbags.

The recommendation is under 13 to be in the back. But the studies still show young teens up until 16yrs old at a 40% risk in the front seat. People just need to be aware. I mean, even adults are safer in the back seat. Doesn't mean they will choose there instead of the passenger seat.

Do not turn off the airbag for kids 12 and over. Just make sure their seat is far enough back. They need that airbag in a collision. Please do some more research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted. It used to be 12, they raise it to 13 last year. It has nothing to do with how tall or big the kids are, their bone structure and density is different than an adult. Not only that, even in minor car crashes, the front air bag deployed can knock a kid pretty hard. Airbags are made for the minimum, which to the manufacturers, is a 165 lb grown men.

Once they move up there, make sure the seat is all the way back if no one is behind them. If someone is, minimum halfway back. Always buckled tight with minimal clothing (no bulky coats)

I highly doubt kids will remember and hate you for making them ride in the back seat. But even if they do, at least they are alive to hate you. Think of your worse case scenario in an MVA and think where would you want your kids in that vehicle. You don't get a do-over in life.

Signed,
National CPS certified Mom of 4

That is bullshit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought riders had to be at least 13 to sit in front seat?

It is the APA's recommendation after a study showed that kids ages 8-16 are 40% more likely to be critically injured or die in the front seat than the back seat - both properly belted.

Does anyone seriously make 14-16 year olds sit in back?

How is my 15.5 year old with his permit supposed to get driving experience from the back seat?

Safety is good, but there comes a point where it gets a bit ridiculous.

There are always risks in life and you can't avoid them all. I go by height and turn off the airbags.

The recommendation is under 13 to be in the back. But the studies still show young teens up until 16yrs old at a 40% risk in the front seat. People just need to be aware. I mean, even adults are safer in the back seat. Doesn't mean they will choose there instead of the passenger seat.

Do not turn off the airbag for kids 12 and over. Just make sure their seat is far enough back. They need that airbag in a collision. Please do some more research.

Ok, I'll keep that in mind for when oldest turns 12. For now turning the airbags off works fine, I think.