My friend puts her baby rear facing in the front seat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what’s your plan, OP?

Honestly, I’ll wait until I see her and her car and child again. Maybe it was a one time thing. Maybe she’ll get a ticket today. Who knows. If I see her and the car again, I guess I’ll have to say something.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to wait to see her and the car. You could bring it up, even though it might feel a bit awkward. I would be much more worried about the safety issue than the issue of getting a ticket.

My kids were young even before passenger air bags (in the mid-1980s) and car seats had to be in the back even then.

You could make a positive suggestion while bringing it up, such as hanging a non-breakable mirror over the head rest so that she and the baby can still see each other using the rear view mirror and the baby's mirror, and keeping a toy or two in a cup holder of the car seat (if it has them), if the baby is old enough to pick things up. It will always be hard if the baby cries while the parent is driving, but oh well! We've all had to deal with it, and safety is the priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what’s your plan, OP?

Honestly, I’ll wait until I see her and her car and child again. Maybe it was a one time thing. Maybe she’ll get a ticket today. Who knows. If I see her and the car again, I guess I’ll have to say something.

How will you ever forgive yourself if something happens before you see her again? What’s getting in the way of you calling her right now?

[Anonymous]

You guys are being ridiculous, I'd wait too OP

[Anonymous]

In Scandinavia, it is very common to put the baby in the front seat. It is considered a safety issue in the opposite way - the driver can see the baby, not forget the baby in the car(!!) and make sure it is not overheating or too cold. They turn off the air bags - the way to approach this is perhaps to ask your friend how they turned the air bags off … and casually mention that it may not be legal here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Surprised at this, as DCUM is almost always in the MYOB camp.

I didn’t know it was illegal.

She’s very sweet, and I suspect she doesn’t know it’s dangerous/against the law. She is such a sweet, kind wonderful mother and I am enjoying our budding friendship. I am cautious to upset her or embarrass her. I wish I could just do an anonymous call to the police.

it looks like you are much concerned about embarrassing yourself than your friend... to the point where you would send police to her. but she won't know it was you, so mission accomplished!

[Anonymous]

She’s an idiot. A fro t end collision can kill her baby. Tell her please that this is illegal unless she leaves driving such a piece that it doesn’t have a front air bag.

[Anonymous]

This is a stupid question from someone who believes the backseat is best.

If she turned off the air bag and moved the seat back...would it be safe? Can you safely put a car seat in a seat that reclines...which most new cars do?

My kids grew up in the 80’s. They rode in the back seat even though we had no air bags.

[Anonymous]

Don't all cars have the yellow "never put a rear facing child seat in the front" sticker? How do people make this mistake?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Scandinavia, it is very common to put the baby in the front seat. It is considered a safety issue in the opposite way - the driver can see the baby, not forget the baby in the car(!!) and make sure it is not overheating or too cold. They turn off the air bags - the way to approach this is perhaps to ask your friend how they turned the air bags off … and casually mention that it may not be legal here.

This, in the UK you see lots of car seats and small kids in the front. Is your friend European, OP?

[Anonymous]

I thought it was fine as long as the airbags were turned off?

[Anonymous]

As long as the air bags are turned off it is ok. Other countries put the baby up front with an airbag switch to be able to attend to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Scandinavia, it is very common to put the baby in the front seat. It is considered a safety issue in the opposite way - the driver can see the baby, not forget the baby in the car(!!) and make sure it is not overheating or too cold. They turn off the air bags - the way to approach this is perhaps to ask your friend how they turned the air bags off … and casually mention that it may not be legal here.

This, in the UK you see lots of car seats and small kids in the front. Is your friend European, OP?

Yes, didn’t I say she was European? Sorry I thought I mentioned that. She is European although she has been in the USA for about 10 years I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as the air bags are turned off it is ok. Other countries put the baby up front with an airbag switch to be able to attend to them.

OP mentioned she drives a new-ish Nissan SUV. I looked it up for a Nissan Rogue. Here's what Nissan says:

"The front passenger air bag shuts OFF and the status light illuminates when the
seat is occupied by a small adult, a child or a child restraint system. The status light will turn OFF when the air bag is ON and the front seat is occupied by an adult. "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHy3Yd8Yvfw

So the front airbag will be off in that case. That's the same in our car.

In fact, I did more checking, and the Federal Government has required "advanced" airbags (turns off based on weight) since 2006 for all passenger cars and light trucks.

[Anonymous]

If the airbag deploys, it will kill the baby. You MUST tell her, OP.