When can your child ride in the front seat? (son, 12 years old, safety)

[GJHJ]

Federal law recommends that all children under the age of 12 be in the back seat. As a car seat technician, when new parents ask me when it's OK to put their kid in the front seat, I use the above line, but I also add that there is no reason for a child to be in the front seat until they are learning how to drive, i.e. 15 or 16. That usually gets a chuckle from them.

[haggardhouseelf]

We wait until age 12, too, even though our boys are also tall for their age. We've lived in various states that had various laws... some go by weight, some by size, some by age...

[bowian]

I've always heard age 12 too. Luckily, my kids haven't been interested at all in sitting in the front.

[3kidsNOmore]

I was wondering that same thing because both my kids are in boosters and want to ride in the front seat and i see so many other people doing it but i'm afraid with my luck i will be the one to get a ticket .......

[miasmommy]

Originally Posted by 3kidsNOmore

I was wondering that same thing because both my kids are in boosters and want to ride in the front seat and i see so many other people doing it but i'm afraid with my luck i will be the one to get a ticket .......

A ticket should be the last thing on your mind! How about your kid's safety?

A kid should rear face at leat until 40lbs! That means a 4 or 5 year old can rear face.

Then a kid should be in a harness seat until at LEAST 50lbs. Graco goes until 65lbs, some go until 80lbs like my Sunshine Kids.

THEN a booster with a back should be used from 65to 100 lbs.

THEN the kid should STILL sit in the back. The front is not as safe.

[kahncss]

My dd was also 12. A few years ago, a mother was driving w/ her 4 yr old dd in the front passenger seat and got in an accident. The force of the airbag broke her dd's neck. It was in the paper how this poor mom reached over and felt the back of her dd's neck and knew she was gone.

[10,000Lakes]

""""Federal law recommends that all children under the age of 12 be in the back seat""""

So what is the law then? Is it different for each state?

[jbar]

I don't know what the law is (if any), but our kids (5&7) ride in the back seat...always. I haven't given any though really as to a good front seat age, but it'll be several more years...i'd say 12 anyway.

[asonnier]

The safest place for any child is in the back seat.

My 17 year old daughter didn't move into the front seat until she started taking driver's ed.

My other kids 13 and 9 are still in the backseat and will stay there.

[Georgepl]

When he gets his drivers license.