Riding in the passenger seat

[Anonymous]

We are a short family. I didn't break 100lbs until my 20s (5'0"). We go by grade. Middle school and up.

[Anonymous]

You should always sit as far back as you can from the airbag, to minimize the effects of the sheer force of the deployment. The _minimum_ recommended distance is 10 inches between the dash/steering wheel and your sternum. The airbag is large enough to do its job, no matter how far back you slide your seat. But it's definitely not like on TV, where people hop right out of the car after the little airbag puffs out when they hit the brakes too hard.

The reason airbags can expand fast enough is because there are explosive charges that release and expand the bag in an instant. So it will save your life by keeping you from being thrown into the dash or through the windshield, but it will beat the heck out of you in the process.

The closer you are to it when that thing bursts out, the more likely you are to get black eyes, a broken nose, bruised ribs, powder burns from the explosive charges, etc. That's why it's crucial that you wear a properly-fitting seat belt as well, so you won't be thrown forward just as the air bag is exploding backward.

And that's also why age is a factor in the recommendations, not just height and weight—because you also need to be sure kids' bone density is developed enough to withstand that kind of force.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

What, like having a bar mitzvah somehow magically conveys increased safety in the event of a car crash?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

What, like having a bar mitzvah somehow magically conveys increased safety in the event of a car crash?

How many times do we need to say it?

It’s a bone maturity issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

What, like having a bar mitzvah somehow magically conveys increased safety in the event of a car crash?

How many times do we need to say it?

It’s a bone maturity issue.

And everyone's bones clearly mature at the same rate/age. Thanks for clearing that up for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

What, like having a bar mitzvah somehow magically conveys increased safety in the event of a car crash?

How many times do we need to say it?

It’s a bone maturity issue.

And everyone's bones clearly mature at the same rate/age. Thanks for clearing that up for us.

Pretty much. Bone development is a very accurate indicator of age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

What, like having a bar mitzvah somehow magically conveys increased safety in the event of a car crash?

How many times do we need to say it?

It’s a bone maturity issue.

So do we all take our kids to the pediatric endocrinologist or radiologist for a bone maturity x-ray and determination before letting them in the front seat? You gotta figure it out somehow, and age, while not perfect and parents are perfectly free to go by whatever they want, is a general guideline.