Carpooling and front seat age requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just need to discuss with the parents and decide on everyone's comfort. I am in a carpool with 11 year olds and two of them weigh more than me and are my height (5 feet). My 11 year old is 4'2 and weighs 65 pounds.
So, in the carpool, my kid always sits in the back and the 5 feet ones always sit in the front. It's not age it's size that is the safety thing.

Exactly. My boys were much bigger at 12 than my girls were when they started driving at 15. Now that I think about it, by 12 all three of my boys weighed more and were taller than I am. I guess I should have been in the back seat. But we have 9 year olds in car seats these days. I'm guessing the next step will be five point harnesses for teen drivers.

Life is 100% fatal. You take a risk every time you walk out the door. At some point this stuff is overkill.

Yeah, our soccer carpool had one mom who refused to let her 12 year old ride up front. He was 5'8" and weighed 155 at the time. One of our drivers was a 4'11 85 lb mom. The tall kid's mom said outright she was fine with our much smaller boys sitting up front in her car if we consented, but she wouldn't put hers there in any circumstance. Still can't wrap my head around it.

How do you know someone else's weight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its not just size and weight, but also about bone structure that is not fully developed yet. I would not put a child under 12 in the front seat except in emergency as our air bags do not turn off. We follow the recommendations. For a child who does not have a good belt fit, they are in a booster in my car. Its not an option. I would feel horrible if I got in an accident and they were hurt due to my not having them in my car properly. You can get an incognito for older kids that is a pad for $20. You don't need to keep them in the tacky plastic ones.

+ 1

It's so easy to do, not sure why people make such a fuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its not just size and weight, but also about bone structure that is not fully developed yet. I would not put a child under 12 in the front seat except in emergency as our air bags do not turn off. We follow the recommendations. For a child who does not have a good belt fit, they are in a booster in my car. Its not an option. I would feel horrible if I got in an accident and they were hurt due to my not having them in my car properly. You can get an incognito for older kids that is a pad for $20. You don't need to keep them in the tacky plastic ones.

+ 1

It's so easy to do, not sure why people make such a fuss.

Don't car manufacturers also limit front passenger seat use to occupants over 12?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know any 10yo that rides in a booster.

Mine does! He's 11 and the height and weight of a 3rd grader. I feel fully justified.

My 10 YO is just 60 pounds and he rides in a booster. The seatbelt does not fit properly without it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? In VA it's just until age 8.

I don't think this is true.

It is. Worry-wart parents have just helicoptered so much about staying rear-facing and in a booster for as long as possible that the masses take it as true now.

One of DS friend's showed up to a boy scout trip with his booster. He was 10 at the time. A 15-passenger van full of 10-11 year-olds all with seat belts except one special snowflake.

I cannot imagine a 10 year old in a booster. Poor kid.

What would you do if the seat belt didn't fit properly?

[Anonymous]

I would lose my mind if another parent let my child ride shotgun and I never let mine until 12, which was what was recommended a few years back. The rest will wait until age 13.

[Anonymous]

Funny thing is most SUV's and minivans have massive seats that most kids under age 10 can not sit properly in. Your feet need to hit the floor and the seat belt can not be anywhere near your neck. Across the chest/shoulder flat.

[Anonymous]

Don't most front airbags turn off now? What is the issue with the front seat if the air bag is off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't most front airbags turn off now? What is the issue with the front seat if the air bag is off?

Would you want to sit in the front seat without an airbag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny thing is most SUV's and minivans have massive seats that most kids under age 10 can not sit properly in. Your feet need to hit the floor and the seat belt can not be anywhere near your neck. Across the chest/shoulder flat.

When I've had to drive a kid without enough boosters (8/9 year old) I put my tallest kid in the middle of our bench seat. The seat belts come out of the bench vs. out of the side of the car in that position, so are much lower and there's the bump in the middle of the floor, so kids fit better in that spot. Though in general we still are putting everybody in boosters if possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? In VA it's just until age 8.

I don't think this is true.

It is. Worry-wart parents have just helicoptered so much about staying rear-facing and in a booster for as long as possible that the masses take it as true now.

One of DS friend's showed up to a boy scout trip with his booster. He was 10 at the time. A 15-passenger van full of 10-11 year-olds all with seat belts except one special snowflake.

The image in my mind has me lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? In VA it's just until age 8.

I don't think this is true.

It is. Worry-wart parents have just helicoptered so much about staying rear-facing and in a booster for as long as possible that the masses take it as true now.

One of DS friend's showed up to a boy scout trip with his booster. He was 10 at the time. A 15-passenger van full of 10-11 year-olds all with seat belts except one special snowflake.

The image in my mind has me lol

No, the real funny thing is that he was probably the only scout properly belted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? In VA it's just until age 8.

I don't think this is true.

It is. Worry-wart parents have just helicoptered so much about staying rear-facing and in a booster for as long as possible that the masses take it as true now.

One of DS friend's showed up to a boy scout trip with his booster. He was 10 at the time. A 15-passenger van full of 10-11 year-olds all with seat belts except one special snowflake.

The image in my mind has me lol

No, the real funny thing is that he was probably the only scout properly belted.

But kids don't wear seatbelts on schoolbuses so what's the difference? Honest question – not trying to be snarky or anything but at 10 years old I'm pretty sure you're OK without a seat booster in a 15 passenger van .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you located? In VA it's just until age 8.

I don't think this is true.

It is. Worry-wart parents have just helicoptered so much about staying rear-facing and in a booster for as long as possible that the masses take it as true now.

One of DS friend's showed up to a boy scout trip with his booster. He was 10 at the time. A 15-passenger van full of 10-11 year-olds all with seat belts except one special snowflake.

The image in my mind has me lol

No, the real funny thing is that he was probably the only scout properly belted.

But kids don't wear seatbelts on schoolbuses so what's the difference? Honest question – not trying to be snarky or anything but at 10 years old I'm pretty sure you're OK without a seat booster in a 15 passenger van .

15 passenger vans are deadly, actually. And a school is on a local route is different than highway driving in terms of risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't most front airbags turn off now? What is the issue with the front seat if the air bag is off?

Would you want to sit in the front seat without an airbag?

Yes, air bags are designed for adults with the proper size and bone structure. The airbag needs to be turned off for a car seat or child in the front seat. Google!