What age can children sit in the front seat?

random10

What does the law state? Is it based on height/age?

GerardKeating

random10 wrote: »

What does the law state? Is it based on height/age?

From three years.

Arciphel

I thought you had to be 12, no? Where did I get that idea from...

meathstevie

12 or 1.3m in height for normal seat and belt. Rear facing childseats etc are a different story.

GerardKeating

Arciphel wrote: »

I thought you had to be 12, no? Where did I get that idea from...

12 with out a suitable child seat. But never with a rear facing seat anf an airbag.

CiniO

Where are you getting that info guys?

AFAIR children of any age can travel in the front seat, provided they are restrained in appropriate seatbelt.

Leprechaun77

My understanding:

Babies in carry seats can sit in the front seat, but only in a rear facing position. The airbag must be turned off however.

Children from three onwards can sit in the front on an appropriate booster seat. ( to ensure the seatbelt passes appropriate pressure points on the body). The airbag remains on in this instance.

mik_da_man

When I was growing up I was always told it was 12 years old.

However I did a lot of reading up on this recently enough and it seems that there's not a minimum age, once they have the correct seat/booster

biko

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Leaflets/Leaf_booklets/Child%20safety%20in%20cars.pdf

children aged 3 years or over who are under 150 centimetres in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms(i.e. generally children up to 11/12 years of age) must use an appropriate child carseat when travelling in cars or goods vehicles fitted with safety belts

CiniO

biko wrote: »

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Leaflets/Leaf_booklets/Child%20safety%20in%20cars.pdf

children aged 3 years or over who are under 150 centimetres in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms(i.e. generally children up to 11/12 years of age) must use an appropriate child carseat when travelling in cars or goods vehicles fitted with safety belts

This doesn't really say anything about front seat...

CiniO

Leprechaun77 wrote: »

My understanding:

Babies in carry seats can sit in the front seat, but only in a rear facing position. The airbag must be turned off however.

But these are childer up to 1 year old approx.
Children between 1 and 3, can travel on the front seat in appropriate child seat.

Children from three onwards can sit in the front on an appropriate booster seat. ( to ensure the seatbelt passes appropriate pressure points on the body). The airbag remains on in this instance.

True, but sometimes it might be advisable to turn off airbag, in case child legs are too small to face downwards, as in case of accident airbag might just push legs straight into face.

Mycroft H

CiniO wrote: »

This doesn't really say anything about front seat...

Kind of implies it though.

CiniO

BX 19 wrote: »

Kind of implies it though.

It implies that once child is restrained in a child seat, then it doesn't matter if it's travelling in the front or rear.

Mycroft H

CiniO wrote: »

It implies that once child is restrained in a child seat, then it doesn't matter if it's travelling in the front or rear.

Exactly! Ergo, doesn't matter if it's in the front.

Nissan doctor

I don't get the argument though, if children are as small as people are talking about, 1yo, 3yo etc, why would you want them in the front seat at all, appropriate seat or not, legal or not?

Mycroft H

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I don't get the argument though, if children are as small as people are talking about, 1yo, 3yo etc, why would you want them in the front seat at all, appropriate seat or not, legal or not?

If they're in the appropriate child seat, what's the problem?

Nissan doctor

BX 19 wrote: »

If they're in the appropriate child seat, what's the problem?

Seat or not, the front is more dangerous then the back in most accidents so that's why I don't get why people would want to put their kids in the front.

Mycroft H

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Seat or not, the front is more dangerous then the back in most accidents so that's why I don't get why people would want to put their kids in the front.

I'm not sure that stacks up. Collisions happen not only at the front end. If we're using that logic, we'd not allow kids in cars at all.....

CiniO

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Seat or not, the front is more dangerous then the back in most accidents so that's why I don't get why people would want to put their kids in the front.

Why do adult passengers seat in front seat while rear seats are free?
Surely they are aware it's more dangerous in the front.

Nissan doctor

BX 19 wrote: »

I'm not sure that stacks up. Collisions happen not only at the front end. If we're using that logic, we'd not allow kids in cars at all.....

The car is generally moving forward, so the is where the majority of accident impacts will occur.

The difference in modern cars is probably minimal, having said that the ISO fix points etc are always in the rear for the above reason. Either way, I just wouldn't be increasing the risk to my kids by even the smallest amount.

goz83

In the back is safest, keeping us sanest. Give me a homer simpson car:p

jayok

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I don't get the argument though, if children are as small as people are talking about, 1yo, 3yo etc, why would you want them in the front seat at all, appropriate seat or not, legal or not?

It is my preference to have them in the back at all times, as this is generally the safest point in the car.

However, if I have a 2 seater vehicle (convertible/goods/whatever) I can legally transport them in the front - that's just good to know. I've rented transit vans to move stuff and often has the young lad up the front with me in his booster seat (he's 7).

Ilik Urgee

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Seat or not, the front is more dangerous then the back in most accidents so that's why I don't get why people would want to put their kids in the front.

A lot of lads who would've once been trading in the building are still driving those vans privately now.
I know of a few with inappropriate taxing but I understand completely their predicament in needing to put a child in the front.

PlainP

My brother in law was stopped by the garda before with my eldest son in the front seat, he would have been around 6 or 7 at that time. The garda said to him that my son should have been in the back back seat and only when he was 12 was he allowed in the front.

Nissan doctor

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I don't get the argument though, if children are as small as people are talking about, 1yo, 3yo etc, why would you want them in the front seat at all, appropriate seat or not, legal or not?

Full car load is one.
Commercial vehicles or two seater cars.

Also another reason from personal experience: I used to get car sick in the back (still don't feel great sitting there) so from a young age I always demanded to be in the front. There was no booster seats either in them days.

Tabnabs

Apologies for thread drift, but children in commercial vehicles (plumbers/furniture moving van for example or farm 4x4), are they covered by motor insurance in the case of an accident? Other than commercial vehicles where kids are expected to be (mini buses etc), is it legit in the eyes of the law and insurance?

dudara

From the RSA website

My mother always used to say I had to be 12 before I could sit in the front seat of the car. I think this was a cunning ploy on her part.

Can a child sit in the front seat of a vehicle?

Any child under 150cms or weighing less than 36kg must be restrained in a child restraint which is appropriate for their height and weight. The safest place for a child to sit is in the back seat of the car, in the appropriate child restraint, however this is not always possible. It is safe and legal for a child of any age to sit in the front passenger seat of a car provided they are using the correct child restraint for their height and weight. However, if you are transporting a baby in a rearward facing child restraint in the front passenger seat you should disable the front passenger air bag. Please leave the air bag active for all other child restraints.

Rearward facing baby seat

Weight range: for babies up to 13 kgs (29 lbs)
General age range: from birth to 12-15 months
Seat details: provide protection for baby's head neck and spine

Forward facing child seat

Weight range: for kids 9-18 kgs (20-40 lbs)
General age range: 9 months - 4 years

Booster seat

Weight range: 15-25 kgs (33-55 lbs)
General age range: 4-6 years

Booster cushion

Weight range: 22-36 kgs (48-79 lbs)
General age range: 6-12 years
Seat details: You must use the seatbelt in conjunction with the booster cushion

Tabnabs

Tabnabs wrote: »

Apologies for thread drift, but children in commercial vehicles (plumbers/furniture moving van for example or farm 4x4), are they covered by motor insurance in the case of an accident? Other than commercial vehicles where kids are expected to be (mini buses etc), is it legit in the eyes of the law and insurance?

Of course they are, why wouldn't they?

A lot of commercial vehicles have private policies anyway, even with commercial tax and commercial policies are more concerned with additional cover for using the vehicle for work rather than removing any normal cover for passengers.

aaakev

PlainP wrote: »

My brother in law was stopped by the garda before with my eldest son in the front seat, he would have been around 6 or 7 at that time. The garda said to him that my son should have been in the back back seat and only when he was 12 was he allowed in the front.

That guard was wrong.... i doubt it was traffic core that stopped him.

Tabnabs wrote: »

Apologies for thread drift, but children in commercial vehicles (plumbers/furniture moving van for example or farm 4x4), are they covered by motor insurance in the case of an accident? Other than commercial vehicles where kids are expected to be (mini buses etc), is it legit in the eyes of the law and insurance?

asked my own insurance this when i was taking out the policy and they said they were covered just like anyone else

ectoraige

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I don't get the argument though, if children are as small as people are talking about, 1yo, 3yo etc, why would you want them in the front seat at all, appropriate seat or not, legal or not?

We've a Grand Scenic, my wife often has to transport five children, there'll be one in the front, two in the middle, and two in the 'boot'. I think I'd trust the front passenger seat over the boot seats for safety personally. Are the rear seats in hatchbacks still regarded as safer than then front passenger seat? Remember also that a young child in the front doesn't really have legs extended into the main crush zone that an adults legs would occupy.

Victor Meldrew

ectoraige wrote: »

We've a Grand Scenic, my wife often has to transport five children, there'll be one in the front, two in the middle, and two in the 'boot'. I think I'd trust the front passenger seat over the boot seats for safety personally. Are the rear seats in hatchbacks still regarded as safer than then front passenger seat? Remember also that a young child in the front doesn't really have legs extended into the main crush zone that an adults legs would occupy.

It is safe and legal for a child of any age to sit in the front passenger seat of a car provided they are using the correct child restraint for their height and weight.

From the RSA...

I totally agree with your comment regarding the "boot seats" in an MPV.