How old until child can sit in front seat
When Can a Child Sit in the Front Seat: By Height and Age
Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA on July 23, 2018
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Overview
While airbags are meant to protect adults from harm in a car crash, they can’t protect children sitting in the front seat.
As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children ages 13 and under buckle up in the back seat for safety.
Some exceptions to this exist. For example, if an adolescent over age 13 is small for their age, it’s not recommended they sit in the front.
Here’s what you need to know about children riding in the car, as well as car seat safety tips by age.
Dangers of riding in the front seat for young children
Car manufacturers typically design airbags to protect an adult who’s at least 5 feet tall and roughly 150 pounds. Even if a child is wearing a seat belt correctly when riding in the front seat, they’re more likely to sustain injuries from a passenger airbag than an adult.
This is because an airbag deploys rapidly, within 1/20th of a second. At this fast rate, an airbag can deploy at a speed of 200 miles per hour. This delivers a significant amount of force to a younger, lighter child.
Children who sit in the front seat before they’re larger in size are at risk for head injuries due to the impact of the airbag or the airbag’s ability to lift them off the seat and hit the top of the car.
After they graduate from a car seat, the safest place for young people to sit is the middle of the back seat, as long as there’s a seat belt (lap and shoulder belts) to use in that position.
When a child is 13 years old and wants to ride in the front seat, parents can further protect them from injury by taking the following steps:
- Move the front seat as far back as it can go and away from where the airbag would deploy.
Most crashes affect the front of a car, making this position the least likely to take impact. - Always require your child to wear a seat belt.
- Have your child wear their seat belt properly with their back against the seat so they’re further from the dashboard. The seat belt should go across the upper chest, not the neck. A lap belt should lay across the lap, not on the stomach.
Even if a 13-year-old weighs more than 150 pounds, they may still need to use a booster seat if they’re under 4 feet, 9 inches tall. A seat belt may not fit properly at this height.
Some states have laws regarding when a child can sit in the front seat. Police officers can write tickets to parents and caregivers who aren’t obeying the law.
Life stages and car seat safety
Using the right size seat and applying safety straps appropriately is vital to keeping a child safe in the car. Never put a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag. If a car seat can’t be placed in the back seat, disable the passenger airbag to reduce the risk for injury.
The following are some guidelines by age to using the appropriate car seat:
Birth to age 2
Children should ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, usually until they’re at least 2 or until they reach the upper weight limit, which is 40 pounds or more.
Shop for a rear-facing car seat here.
This type of car seat cushions a child’s delicate neck and spinal cord. If you start with an infant carrier, change to a convertible car seat when they outgrow it, but leave the car seat rear-facing.
Ages 2 to 8 (or older)
Children should ride in a forward-facing seat for as long as possible until they reach the upper height or weight limit of their seat. Buy one online.
This car seat protects against forward movement should a crash occur. The seat should have the weight and height limits listed. Usually, the maximum weight limit is between 40 and 65 pounds.
Ages 8 to 12
When a child has outgrown the weight and height limits for a forward-facing seat, they’ll need a belt-positioning booster seat.
Shop for one now.
This helps a child sit at the safest angle and height to prevent injuries in a car accident.
Children will usually stay in this booster seat until they’re over 4 feet, 9 inches tall. This booster seat ensures the seat belt fits over the strongest parts of a child’s body so they’re less likely to be injured in a crash.
Children older than 13
While teenagers can ride in the front seat, they should always wear their seat belts.
At each stage, a car seat or booster is intended to position a child at the safest and most secure angle to protect them against impact and car accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates the lives of 248 children under 5 years old were saved by car seats in 2015.
The bottom line
Even low-impact crashes when a young person is in the front seat can cause significant damage if a child isn’t big or old enough to sit in the front seat. As a result, it’s important for caregivers and parents to practice strict rules for car safety each and every time.
Many local fire departments, hospitals, and other community organizations offer car seat installation and inspection stations. Parents can find these by visiting or calling the following resources:
- Call 1-866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243)
- Visit SeatCheck.org from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to register a child’s car seat and receive safety updates. They also offer a map of car seat inspection locations.
In addition, parents should model good driving behavior. Always buckle up so your children will when they start driving on their own.
Last medically reviewed on July 23, 2018
- Parenthood
- Life
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- AAP updates recommendations on car seats for children. (2018).
aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-on-Car-Seats-for-Children.aspx - Air bags: Not for children. (n.d.).
stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=air-bags-and-kids-1-986 - Car seats and booster seats. (n.d.).
nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats - Child passenger safety. (2018).
cdc.gov/features/passengersafety/index.html - Durbin DR, et al. (2018). Child passenger safety.
pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/5/e20182460
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Jul 23, 2018
Written By
Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA
Edited By
Nizam Khan (TechSpace)
Medically Reviewed By
Karen Richardson Gill, MD
Share this article
When Can a Child Sit in the Front Seat: By Height and Age
Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.
D. — By Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA on July 23, 2018
We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.
Overview
While airbags are meant to protect adults from harm in a car crash, they can’t protect children sitting in the front seat.
As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children ages 13 and under buckle up in the back seat for safety.
Some exceptions to this exist. For example, if an adolescent over age 13 is small for their age, it’s not recommended they sit in the front.
Here’s what you need to know about children riding in the car, as well as car seat safety tips by age.
Dangers of riding in the front seat for young children
Car manufacturers typically design airbags to protect an adult who’s at least 5 feet tall and roughly 150 pounds. Even if a child is wearing a seat belt correctly when riding in the front seat, they’re more likely to sustain injuries from a passenger airbag than an adult.
This is because an airbag deploys rapidly, within 1/20th of a second. At this fast rate, an airbag can deploy at a speed of 200 miles per hour. This delivers a significant amount of force to a younger, lighter child.
Children who sit in the front seat before they’re larger in size are at risk for head injuries due to the impact of the airbag or the airbag’s ability to lift them off the seat and hit the top of the car.
After they graduate from a car seat, the safest place for young people to sit is the middle of the back seat, as long as there’s a seat belt (lap and shoulder belts) to use in that position.
When a child is 13 years old and wants to ride in the front seat, parents can further protect them from injury by taking the following steps:
- Move the front seat as far back as it can go and away from where the airbag would deploy. Most crashes affect the front of a car, making this position the least likely to take impact.
- Always require your child to wear a seat belt.
- Have your child wear their seat belt properly with their back against the seat so they’re further from the dashboard. The seat belt should go across the upper chest, not the neck. A lap belt should lay across the lap, not on the stomach.
Even if a 13-year-old weighs more than 150 pounds, they may still need to use a booster seat if they’re under 4 feet, 9 inches tall. A seat belt may not fit properly at this height.
Some states have laws regarding when a child can sit in the front seat. Police officers can write tickets to parents and caregivers who aren’t obeying the law.
Life stages and car seat safety
Using the right size seat and applying safety straps appropriately is vital to keeping a child safe in the car. Never put a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag. If a car seat can’t be placed in the back seat, disable the passenger airbag to reduce the risk for injury.
The following are some guidelines by age to using the appropriate car seat:
Birth to age 2
Children should ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, usually until they’re at least 2 or until they reach the upper weight limit, which is 40 pounds or more.
Shop for a rear-facing car seat here.
This type of car seat cushions a child’s delicate neck and spinal cord. If you start with an infant carrier, change to a convertible car seat when they outgrow it, but leave the car seat rear-facing.
Ages 2 to 8 (or older)
Children should ride in a forward-facing seat for as long as possible until they reach the upper height or weight limit of their seat. Buy one online.
This car seat protects against forward movement should a crash occur. The seat should have the weight and height limits listed. Usually, the maximum weight limit is between 40 and 65 pounds.
Ages 8 to 12
When a child has outgrown the weight and height limits for a forward-facing seat, they’ll need a belt-positioning booster seat. Shop for one now.
This helps a child sit at the safest angle and height to prevent injuries in a car accident.
Children will usually stay in this booster seat until they’re over 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
This booster seat ensures the seat belt fits over the strongest parts of a child’s body so they’re less likely to be injured in a crash.
Children older than 13
While teenagers can ride in the front seat, they should always wear their seat belts.
At each stage, a car seat or booster is intended to position a child at the safest and most secure angle to protect them against impact and car accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates the lives of 248 children under 5 years old were saved by car seats in 2015.
The bottom line
Even low-impact crashes when a young person is in the front seat can cause significant damage if a child isn’t big or old enough to sit in the front seat. As a result, it’s important for caregivers and parents to practice strict rules for car safety each and every time.
Many local fire departments, hospitals, and other community organizations offer car seat installation and inspection stations.
Parents can find these by visiting or calling the following resources:
- Call 1-866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243)
- Visit SeatCheck.org from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to register a child’s car seat and receive safety updates. They also offer a map of car seat inspection locations.
In addition, parents should model good driving behavior. Always buckle up so your children will when they start driving on their own.
Last medically reviewed on July 23, 2018
- Parenthood
- Life
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- AAP updates recommendations on car seats for children. (2018).
aap.
org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-on-Car-Seats-for-Children.aspx - Air bags: Not for children. (n.d.).
stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=air-bags-and-kids-1-986 - Car seats and booster seats. (n.d.).
nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats - Child passenger safety. (2018).
cdc.gov/features/passengersafety/index.html - Durbin DR, et al. (2018). Child passenger safety.
pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/5/e20182460
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version
Jul 23, 2018
Written By
Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA
Edited By
Nizam Khan (TechSpace)
Medically Reviewed By
Karen Richardson Gill, MD
Share this article
At what age can a child be transported in the front seat?
At what age can a child be transported in the front seat?
Many, even experienced drivers, cannot give an exact answer as to whether children are allowed to be transported in a vehicle in the front passenger seat.
In this article, we will consider the rules for transporting children in the front seat in accordance with traffic rules. Is it even possible to transport a child in the front seat of a car?
Contrary to the opinion of most motorists who believe that children are only allowed to be transported in the back seat, the SDA states that children are allowed to be transported both in the back and in the front seat. Only the transportation rules themselves depend on the age of the child. The SDA does not provide for a minimum age from which it is allowed to carry children in the front seat, however, if the child is under 12 years old, then a special child car seat is required. Thus, in legal terms, children can be transported in the front seat from the moment they are born.
For a better understanding, we will conditionally divide children into two groups - from birth to 3 years old, and children over 3 years old. What are the differences in their transportation? Let's figure it out.
See catalog of group 0+ seats
Children from birth are transported in group 0+ car seats. The installation of a seat of this group on the front seat is carried out only against the direction of travel, fastening is carried out with a regular car seat belt. When transporting newborns in an infant carrier in the front seat mandatory the passenger airbag must be deactivated. This is explained quite simply - in an emergency, when the airbag is triggered, the chair can be thrown towards the passenger compartment and damage the child who is in it.
The second variation of the infant car seat is group 1, for children from 9 months to 4 years of age. In this case, there are two variations - movement against the course and along the course of the car. As long as the child moves against the direction of travel, the same rules apply as for group 0+, and when the child sits down already in the direction of travel, the airbag can no longer be turned off.
One of the best group 1 seats to use in the front seat - Britax-Roemer King II .
Well, in conclusion, let's consider the possibility of installing a car seat for children over 3 years old in the front seat, this is group 2/3.
See the catalog of group 2/3 seats
In the older group 2/3, transporting children in the front seat of a car is quite simple. The child car seat is installed in the direction of travel, and together with the child, it is held by the standard car belt. There is no need to deactivate the passenger airbag during this transportation.
As a result, we can conclude that, if necessary, you can transport your child in the front seat of the car, right from his birth. But, for this, a number of conditions must be observed - your seat must be suitable for such transportation, and when installing the seat against the direction of the vehicle, the passenger airbag must be turned off.
Safe travels!
When children can ride in the front seat of a car: age limit
When can a child be placed in the front seat?
Although the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Act has long since been amended to regulate the rules for transporting children in automobiles, many still do not know when children can be put in the front passenger seat of a car.
If you want a quick and easy answer, let's just say that you can transport a child in the front seat without restraints or in a child seat from the age of 12. Naturally, the child must be fastened with a seat belt.
This norm is regulated by the Rules of the Road (clause 22.9 of the SDA of the Russian Federation):
Clause 22.9. Transportation of children under 7 years of age in a passenger car and a truck cab designed with seat belts or seat belts and an ISOFIX child restraint system <*> must be carried using child restraint systems (devices) that comply with weight and height of the child.
Transportation of children aged from 7 to 11 years old (inclusive !!!) in a passenger car and the cab of a truck, the design of which provides for seat belts or seat belts and an ISOFIX child restraint system, must be carried out using child restraint systems ( devices) corresponding to the weight and height of the child, or using seat belts , and in the front seat of a car - only using child restraint systems (devices) appropriate for the weight and height of the child .
The installation of child restraint systems (devices) in a car and a truck cab and placement of children in them must be carried out in accordance with the instruction manual for these systems (devices).
Here is a simple chart to help you determine if you can transport a child without a front seat, and to help you understand when you are required to use a child seat or other child restraint in your car. devices, and in which cases this can be done at will, but not necessarily by law, regardless of which seat the child is sitting in (front or rear):
See also
7 Errors when transporting children in the car
Front seat (passenger car)
- If a child is from 0 to 7 years old, in the front seat you can transport a child only in a child seat or other restraint.
- If the child is between the ages of 7 and 11 (inclusive), the front seat can also only be carried in a child seat.
- If your child is 12 years of age or older , starting on their 12th birthday, you may carry your child in the front passenger seat without using a child restraint.
Rear seat (passenger car)
- If the child is between 0 and 7 years old, you can only transport the child in the rear seat in a child seat or other restraint.
- If the child is between 7 and 11 (inclusive), it can be transported in the back seat of a car with or without a child restraint. If children aged 7 to 11 are transported without child seats, they must be fastened with seat belts.
- Please note that if the design of the car or the features of the seat do not provide for seat belts, , according to the current legislation, a child from 7 to 11 years old can be transported not only without a car seat, but also unfastened. But, as you understand, it is very DANGEROUS!
Height and age of the child: both factors affect its safety
But we would not advise you to rush to put your child in the front passenger seat.
The reason it's so important to keep our kids in the back seat for as long as possible is because the impact of most car accidents is on the front of the car. Anyone, including adults, is safer in the back seat because they are farther away from impact. Yes, according to statistics, most accidents are associated with a blow to the front of the car.
In addition, the front airbags are designed to protect an adult over 150 cm tall and weighing at least 60-65 kg. If the child is too low, the airbag may hit him in the face or neck; and even if a child is properly buckled in a seatbelt (with an extra seat if necessary), they are more likely than an adult to be injured by an airbag, says car design engineer David Sadakyan. Here's what he told our publication:0007
The danger of transporting even a tall child in the front seat of a car is connected with this. The airbag in an accident deploys very quickly - within 1/20 of a second. At this high speed, the airbag can deploy at a speed of 320 kilometers per hour.
This, of course, will lead to the fact that the child will be injured. Moreover, the smaller and lighter the child sitting in the front seat, the more difficult the consequences will be.
Children who sit in the front seat before they get bigger are at risk of head injury due to airbag impact when deployed during an accident. Also, the front passenger airbag in some cases can be dangerous even for those children who are in a child seat. This is why it is so important when transporting a child in a child seat in the front seat that the airbag is deactivated.
Children's skeletal systems are also still developing, which means that even if your 12-year-old is almost as tall as you, his body cannot withstand collisions as effectively as your body. In particular, the bones in a child's hips may not yet be fully developed, which can cause the lap belt to move up onto the abdomen instead of remaining low on the hips, resulting in serious injury in a car collision.
