Just Kate Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 DH and DS are taking a guys road trip this summer, and ds is begging to be allowed to ride in the front seat. He has just turned 11, but he is 5 foot tall and weighs just over 100 lbs. Everything I've read says age 12, but it doesn't specify size requirements. Of course, most of ds's friends ride in the front seat now. I do understand that ds will probably enjoy his trip with his dad more if he is riding in the front seat, but of course, I want to keep him safe. What are your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I didn't allow the front seat until age 13. I believe dh allowed it at 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 14. But my kids were kind of small. Looks like the CDC says 13. http://www.cdc.gov/features/passengersafety/ Some of the issue is that head on crashes in the front seat tend to be worse. Some of it is the air bag. You can turn off the air bag in newer cars, but I don't know at what point the risk from a crash without an air bag outweighs the risk from the air bag. At the very least, it sounds like the child's seat should be pushed back as far from the dashboard as possible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I told my kids 10, but the state law might have changed since then. One of mine is so small, I am wishing I never said anything about the front seat .... ETA: good, our state law now says 12yo for the front seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 It's going to be a long time for us. His friends all still ride in the back, too. I won't take kids in the front seat, airbags make it too unsafe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I'm mean and would say no. Air bags work best for people at least 5'5". Of course, there's short people like me who will never be that tall. If your husband has an old car, there's no way I'd let a kid that age in front: new air bag systems are much, much safer for smaller front passengers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The rule I read when pregnant was 5 foot tall, 100 pounds. My MIL still won't be allowed in the front seat based on that rule. If I were in your situation, I'd apply common sense and I'd think your son is big/old enough to ride in the front seat. I'd insist that the seat be pushed back a bit, the back reclined a bit, and the shoulder height of the seat belt adjusted just right. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The guideline here is 13 here where feasible IIRC. So if you have a 5 seat sedan and you are driving 4 kids, one can ride in the front. I will admit though I let my 12 year old niece ride in the front seat even when she could have fit in the back. She's the same size as many fully grown women. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I used age 12 for my older two, and I'm making my 9yo wait until 12, also. Of course, my mom is 4'10, and weighs less than 90 lbs, and has osteoporosis, and she sits in front. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 My older kid is 13. I have still not let him yet. He hasn't asked though. I would probably let him at this point. He is nearly as big as I am (although I'm not very big). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I've heard 5 feet, 100 lbs, 12 years. For people who do not reach this height and weight and likely aren't going to I believe there are guidelines involving changing the seat position and turning off airbags when that person is driving or in the front passenger seat. I started seating mine in the front around 14 or so. This was to get them to pay attention to driving behaviors and talk to them about driving before they got permits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I allow my 13 yo to ride in the front seat. She has been up there for 2 years now since she was on crutches for a few months and it was better for her not to share a seat with siblings. She will probably never be 100 pounds or 5 feet tall, so I don't know if that is a good rule. We're a pretty petite bunch; my youngest will probably still fit in her car seat and be able to drive the car due to the booster requirements! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 When they got their learners permits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 State law is 13, so that is what we go by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I've heard 5 feet, 100 lbs, 12 years. For people who do not reach this height and weight and likely aren't going to I believe there are guidelines involving changing the seat position and turning off airbags when that person is driving or in the front passenger seat. I started seating mine in the front around 14 or so. This was to get them to pay attention to driving behaviors and talk to them about driving before they got permits. Dd just pointed this out to me a few days ago. She is 14 but only about 100 lbs, so I still like for her to ride in the back. Last week on the way to her dance class, she said, "You know, it's only a year until I can get my permit. Maybe I should ride in the front some before I have to drive the thing!" Only a year? Where did the time go? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I can't find this now, but I remember hearing at one point that a 5 foot 100 lb young teen is a lot more vulnerable in a crash than a 5 foot 100 lb adult. Something about the bones not having developed as much. That's why we waited until 14, which I thought at the time was a bit early. Although, for my 2nd, she had to wait until her older sister stopped riding around with us. She might have been closer to 15 by then. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I can't find this now, but I remember hearing at one point that a 5 foot 100 lb young teen is a lot more vulnerable in a crash than a 5 foot 100 lb adult. Something about the bones not having developed as much. That's why we waited until 14, which I thought at the time was a bit early. Although, for my 2nd, she had to wait until her older sister stopped riding around with us. She might have been closer to 15 by then. That reminds me of a friend of mine in his 40's. He was visiting his folks out of state and his mom drove them somewhere. He started to get in the backseat when it was just the two of them. His mom's response was, "Why?". Apparently, it was ingrained in him. He had an older brother and as kids they always fought about who got the front seat. Until, his mother mandated that the older brother always got the front seat. Even in his 40's, it was his instinct. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 10 -- both girls have been around 5'0 and 100lbs. Of course, they have to sit in the back when an adult is in the passenger seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I was allowed by ten, but I am not going to let my kids until they can pass the five point test and sit, unassisted, with a shoulder belt and correct body geometry. If I get a *real* shorty who can never pass the test (I barely can, as an grown woman!) I might get them a wedge pillow and let them 'graduate' to the front by 13-14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfknitter.# Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 For CA: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/injviosaf/Documents/ParentBrochure-English.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Age 15. There was some research done and there was a big drop in damage from that age on in accidents. It is to do with skeleton strength due to puberty etc, not height or weight. I will find the link later. On my phone now. Hobbes is looking forward to moving forward next month. ETA: here's the link. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 OP, any and all threads about car safety inevitably devolve into two different groups of homeschoolers. Tiers, if you will. They are as follows: Tier 1: My child is old enough to drive the car himself but I make him ride in the back in a rear-facing, five point harness carseat. We removed the rear window so he can hang his legs out and now he's perfectly comfortable, I swear. Tier 2: Sometimes the car gets a little crowded, so as soon as my infant can sit independently I strap him to the top with a few bungie cords. We have to stop every hour or so to squeegee the bugs off his face, but he really doesn't mind. My parents made me run behind the car smoking a pack of Marlboros while I carried their beer when I was a kid. Uphill. Through the snow. And I survived just fine. As I fall into Tier 1.5- maybe 1.6- I would probably just let my kid ride in the front, though I have a newer car and I can turn off the passenger side airbag. Given his size, if he was my kid I'd feel awful making him ride in the back for that long if it's just the two of them. 40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 10, because my car only seats 3 in the back and a few times we've transported 4 kids. DS was the biggest kid and had to sit in front, which is legal here if the back seats are filled with smaller children. However it was a short trip (2 miles) and the speed limit for the entire trip was 25 mph. I would refuse for the freeway and I wouldn't let him ride in front had there been a slot open in the back seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I let my kids when they were 12, which was years later than most of their peers. They both really seemed to have more adult like bodies at that age. My 12ds is 5'7" and 120lbs, so it would be silly to make him sit in the back. But dd10 is 70lbs and 4'6", and will be sitting in the back for awhile to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Mergath :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 OP, any and all threads about car safety inevitably devolve into two different groups of homeschoolers. Tiers, if you will. They are as follows: Tier 1: My child is old enough to drive the car himself but I make him ride in the back in a rear-facing, five point harness carseat. We removed the rear window so he can hang his legs out and now he's perfectly comfortable, I swear. Tier 2: Sometimes the car gets a little crowded, so as soon as my infant can sit independently I strap him to the top with a few bungie cords. We have to stop every hour or so to squeegee the bugs off his face, but he really doesn't mind. My parents made me run behind the car smoking a pack of Marlboros while I carried their beer when I was a kid. Uphill. Through the snow. And I survived just fine. As I fall into Tier 1.5- maybe 1.6- I would probably just let my kid ride in the front, though I have a newer car and I can turn off the passenger side airbag. Given his size, if he was my kid I'd feel awful making him ride in the back for that long if it's just the two of them. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I would actually let dh and ds figure it out. If I was driving, I would let him sit in the front. He's the same size as me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Tier 1: My child is old enough to drive the car himself but I make him ride in the back in a rear-facing, five point harness carseat. We removed the rear window so he can hang his legs out and now he's perfectly comfortable, I swear. Tier 2: Sometimes the car gets a little crowded, so as soon as my infant can sit independently I strap him to the top with a few bungie cords. We have to stop every hour or so to squeegee the bugs off his face, but he really doesn't mind. My parents made me run behind the car smoking a pack of Marlboros while I carried their beer when I was a kid. Uphill. Through the snow. And I survived just fine. :lol: :lol: :lol: If you handle one kid as Tier 1 and and the other runs behind the car smoking Marlboros and carrying a beer, they can chat through the missing back window! Genius! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 100lbs, 5'. seat pushed back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I told dd 12 but am now regretting that as she is approaching that age. I would prefer 13 or even 14. We have older cars with older airbags. Dh and I both have engineering backgrounds and know way too much about car crash physics. That said, ALL of dd's friends are allowed to sit in front. Some as early as 4-5 years old. Dd feels like a dork. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I was in the front passenger seat when we got into our car accident. DS was in the back, behind the driver. I was the most severely injured. DS was shook-up, but able to be released to his siblings and taken home the same day. I didn't make it back home for a full month. Keep the kids in the back seat. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 My daughter was 5' and 100 pounds at 10. I started letting her sit in the front seat at that point. She is now 5'4" and 110 at the age of 11 and I can't imagine putting her in the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Around 12, and not always. DD actually likes having her own space to spread out in the back of the van, so it's rare, but I'm mostly comfortable with it. Of course, she's 5' 7" now :glare: OP, any and all threads about car safety inevitably devolve into two different groups of homeschoolers. Tiers, if you will. They are as follows: Tier 1: My child is old enough to drive the car himself but I make him ride in the back in a rear-facing, five point harness carseat. We removed the rear window so he can hang his legs out and now he's perfectly comfortable, I swear. Tier 2: Sometimes the car gets a little crowded, so as soon as my infant can sit independently I strap him to the top with a few bungie cords. We have to stop every hour or so to squeegee the bugs off his face, but he really doesn't mind. My parents made me run behind the car smoking a pack of Marlboros while I carried their beer when I was a kid. Uphill. Through the snow. And I survived just fine. As I fall into Tier 1.5- maybe 1.6- I would probably just let my kid ride in the front, though I have a newer car and I can turn off the passenger side airbag. Given his size, if he was my kid I'd feel awful making him ride in the back for that long if it's just the two of them. :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I didn't allow it until DS was 13 but he wasn't as big as your 11yr old. He's larger than some grown women so I'd feel fine letting him up front. My rule is they have to be 80lbs and over 4'9. I think 80lbs is for the airbag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maus Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 When they reached 4'9" and 8 years old. This met the minimum requirement for the car manufacturer recommendation and our state law. (The passenger seat is as far back as it can go.) In our case, I considered this the safest option, as otherwise, all three children are sharing one seat in either my Honda Accord, or our crew cab truck. They cannot get along that close together, and fighting children distract the driver. I'm pretty sure statistically we are far more likely to be in an accident I cause trying to front seat parent than in one caused by another random driver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFwife Claire Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I would say 12 for me, but sometimes I let an 11 year old sit in the front. That's because I would rather drive our minivan than our big van, and it only seats 8. So if I'm taking the younger 7 kids somewhere, then the 11 year old sits in front with me. I think I'm a better driver in the minivan, so I choose that risk over having everyone in the big van and having to drive that boat. But usually I'm not taking all 7 younger kids, so it's not an issue. I really, really hope carseat busybodies do not push for more and more stricter laws about this, because I greatly prefer being able to make my own decisions about risk factors and how I address them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 OP, any and all threads about car safety inevitably devolve into two different groups of homeschoolers. Tiers, if you will. They are as follows: Tier 1: My child is old enough to drive the car himself but I make him ride in the back in a rear-facing, five point harness carseat. We removed the rear window so he can hang his legs out and now he's perfectly comfortable, I swear. Tier 2: Sometimes the car gets a little crowded, so as soon as my infant can sit independently I strap him to the top with a few bungie cords. We have to stop every hour or so to squeegee the bugs off his face, but he really doesn't mind. My parents made me run behind the car smoking a pack of Marlboros while I carried their beer when I was a kid. Uphill. Through the snow. And I survived just fine. As I fall into Tier 1.5- maybe 1.6- I would probably just let my kid ride in the front, though I have a newer car and I can turn off the passenger side airbag. Given his size, if he was my kid I'd feel awful making him ride in the back for that long if it's just the two of them. Again with the tiers? And so incorrect, too. Kids in the front seat? Are you kidding me? Do you people not have trunks or roof racks? 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 We said "12 years old", but realistically kids #2,3 and 4 never got to sit in the front until they were older because that's where the oldest was sitting. Once he left for college, DD19 got to sit up front.... and so on down the line. Mergath, you're killing me today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 DH and DS are taking a guys road trip this summer, and ds is begging to be allowed to ride in the front seat. He has just turned 11, but he is 5 foot tall and weighs just over 100 lbs. Everything I've read says age 12, but it doesn't specify size requirements. Of course, most of ds's friends ride in the front seat now. I do understand that ds will probably enjoy his trip with his dad more if he is riding in the front seat, but of course, I want to keep him safe. What are your thoughts? Safety would be more important to me, so I would make him ride in the back seat, as usual. I don't think size and weight are as much of an issue as the fact that a younger kid's body isn't as developed as a teenager's body, so even a good-sized 11yo would be more likely to be injured in a crash than a similarly-sized 14yo. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I let my dds at the tail end of eleven. They were both already 5'5" and just over 100 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 We allowed it at 11 when dd was close to her adult size. She was 5' or just over and at least 100 pounds--bigger than her adult piano teacher and other small adults who certainly ride in the front seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 If the law in the state(s) they will be in permit someone the age of your DS during that road trip to ride in the front seat, I would allow him to do it. They will enjoy their trip more if they are both in the front seat. Here in Colombia, the legal age for a child to ride in the front seat is 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I don't remember the exact age. DD turns 16 next month. But, I do know we met state law minimum age for her to sit in the front seat and we even waited a tad bit beyond that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I'd check the laws of the states they''l drive through and stick with the highest age/size requirement among them. If it's allowed in all of them, I'd probably let him for this occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 My minimum is 13. Possibly 14, we'll see when we get there ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 DH and DS are taking a guys road trip this summer, and ds is begging to be allowed to ride in the front seat. He has just turned 11, but he is 5 foot tall and weighs just over 100 lbs. Everything I've read says age 12, but it doesn't specify size requirements. Of course, most of ds's friends ride in the front seat now. I do understand that ds will probably enjoy his trip with his dad more if he is riding in the front seat, but of course, I want to keep him safe. What are your thoughts? My daughter who drives is smaller than your son. My guess is Dad will let him in the front seat anyway. I wouldn't interfere with that. It's not like he's tiny and seven. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The first time we visited the Children's Aquarium, they were also setting up for the State Fair so they had a lot of fences where the map didn't have fences. For a long time we walked trying to find an opening in the fence. Apparently into a restricted area. A security guard drove up in a golf cart and ended up driving us back to the front door after I convinced him that I had no idea where I could get out of the restricted area and to the front door. We went to the Aquarium and DD seemed to have fun. What did talk about with that visit, "I got to ride in the front seat". She rode in the front seat of the golf cart, and that made her WEEK. Even beat out sharks and sting rays for the first time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 12.5 My kids are tall and at 12.5 are at least 5'7". If they were short, it would be older. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Locally, on super short trips, I think they started at age 8 or 9. On the highway, age 10 with the seat moved back as far as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 State law is 9, although DS has ridden in the front when I've had large loads from Home Depot to bring home. He's 8. I'm actually surprised at the general consensus here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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