Booster seats and front passengers: confused about apparently conflicting advice

[Participant]

Hi all

My daughter's 6 and I occasionally want to start putting her in the front seat of our car. Two reasons for this: she gets travel sick and it helps with that, and it's easier to talk to her when I pick her up from school etc.

I've been reading into this and I can't find a definitive answer on whether or not it's considered safe, whether or not it's less safe than sitting in the rear and why, and whether or not the front passenger air bag should be disabled.

I've found links saying airbags are fine in this case unless it's a rear-facing seat, just move the seat back; links saying it's always safer to have the child in the rear (so to speak) whenever possible; links saying the front passenger airbag should always be disabled whenever a child is in the front; links saying it's illegal (!), etc...

Does anyone else transport their child in a booster seat in the front passenger seat and what are OcUK's views on how safe this is?

Thanks.

 

[dale1uk]

Check your car handbook, it will say if your car is OK to have a car seat fitted up front. My understanding of the passenger airbag is to disable it if using a rear facing car seat up front. If using a front facing car seat then leave it enabled but with the seat fully back on the runners.

 

[Scrutinize]

You only typically need to disable the airbags for rear facing baby travel system style seats.

Normal forward facing booster seats or surround seats tend to be fine.

As for overall safety most important aspects are the seatbelts fit properly and are at the right height for the child which can be an issue with some front seats, the booster seat isn't hindered by front seat contours (eg some sports seats) and you are confident the child cannot easily come out of the seat in an impact. This depends on your car, standard safety systems, airbags, airbag curtains etc.

General consensus is that children tend to be safer in the back but it would depend on the accident and points of impact i.e. head on (seated in rear better), hard rear (in front better), side (depends where & if rear or front), front and rear or HGV involved etc.

Not all booster seats are made equal either.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

In the front the guidance is to also move the seat far back so they are far from the dash. Never really worried me once front facing.