Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Ok, Me and a guy from work are having a row I need someone with knowledge to settle it...he is saying that it is now illegal to have a child seat on the front seat of a car...now I've always had my son on the front seat of the supra because it has no air bag on the passanger side...plus I've been stopped many times by the police (huge problem with modified cars and poilce in my area, great pleasure in saying they have never so much as given me a warning, haha) and they have never said he needs to sit in the back, so... Is he for of bull or am I breaking the law? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRX Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 What sort of seat are we talking about here mate? Full size thing or just the booster seat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 yeah full size seat...he's 14 months so it's a recaro full seat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I believe the rules state that rear seats should be used for child seats whenever possible and safe to do so. Front seats can be used so long as there is no airbag and it is not safe to use the rear seats. With the Supra rear seats being quite deep and 'bucket like' there would be a question over the safety of a child seat in the rear when it is not sitting flat on the chair or where the seat belt clip rubs against the seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c8sup Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Its not illegal, just not that safe. Apparently many airbag disable switches are not 100% and therefore could still go off in an accident. Im surprised in this day and age the government hasn't put a on the spot fine and points on your license on this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 The recaro seats fit perfectly in the bucket in the back seat so Oscar could easily sit in the back but when it is just me and him I put him in the front with me...when I have my 2 children with me they both sit in the back in seats but I never thought it was against the law for them in the front... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Its not illegal, just not that safe. Apparently many airbag disable switches are not 100% and therefore could still go off in an accident. Im surprised in this day and age the government hasn't put a on the spot fine and points on your license on this issue. there isn't an airbag at all in the front so it's not just disabled... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 The recaro seats fit perfectly in the bucket in the back seat so Oscar could easily sit in the back but when it is just me and him I put him in the front with me...when I have my 2 children with me they both sit in the back in seats but I never thought it was against the law for them in the front... It is against the law if you have the choice to put them in the rear seats. They changed all the laws about 2 years ago which includes any child under 12 needing to be in a child seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Right so he needs to be in the back all the time...good job the coppers don't know that I would have had a telling off a few times lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Right so he needs to be in the back all the time...good job the coppers don't know that I would have had a telling off a few times lol Would the police have noticed? I doubt it very much. So long as they are in a safe child seat then the police wouldn't pay much attention. Perhaps pay a visit to a child seat fitting place and ask them to check if the child seat in the rear is safe, and if they say it isnt then you have a reason to have it in the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 Would the police have noticed? I doubt it very much. So long as they are in a safe child seat then the police wouldn't pay much attention. Perhaps pay a visit to a child seat fitting place and ask them to check if the child seat in the rear is safe, and if they say it isnt then you have a reason to have it in the front. yeah it really is a perfect ft in the back seats...it doesn't wobble or rub on anything so I think it would probably be safe...worth asking though...it took us months to find a seat that did fit in there properly (I'm too stubborn to buy a 'family' car lol) and it was brand new out at the time so I presume recaro cottoned on that the new laws had to have kids in the back of sports cars and cashed in on it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 It is against the law if you have the choice to put them in the rear seats. Are you sure about that? The only illegal thing I can find is "It is illegal to carry a child in a rear-facing child seat in the front, which is protected by an active frontal airbag. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Its not illegal, just not that safe. Apparently many airbag disable switches are not 100% and therefore could still go off in an accident. Im surprised in this day and age the government hasn't put a on the spot fine and points on your license on this issue. They have, just not in the way you think. If you use the disable switch on your car without informing your insurance company your insurance is then null and void as you have disabled a safety device. Pretty sure that would lead to a fine and points Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 from google....... "Q: Is it legal for my child to travel in the front passenger seat? A: Yes. If your child is aged under 12 years they must be using an appropriate child restraint, unless they are over 135cm in height. Once a child is taller than 135cm, you may move a child out of the booster seat or booster cushion, regardless of their age, although they must still legally use the adult belt. It is the drivers responsibility to ensure that every passenger under 14 is restrained within the law. However, if a child is in a rearward facing child car seat, and the front passenger seat is protected by an active frontal airbag, then it is illegal to carry your child in the front. Although the law does allow you to carry children in the front (with the one exception above), it is safer for children to travel in the rear." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 from google....... "Q: Is it legal for my child to travel in the front passenger seat? A: Yes. If your child is aged under 12 years they must be using an appropriate child restraint, unless they are over 135cm in height. Once a child is taller than 135cm, you may move a child out of the booster seat or booster cushion, regardless of their age, although they must still legally use the adult belt. It is the drivers responsibility to ensure that every passenger under 14 is restrained within the law. However, if a child is in a rearward facing child car seat, and the front passenger seat is protected by an active frontal airbag, then it is illegal to carry your child in the front. Although the law does allow you to carry children in the front (with the one exception above), it is safer for children to travel in the rear." Okay, I'm still confused (feel free to call me a dumb ass lol) but it says the law does allow a child to be in the front with the exception of forward facing seats although it is safer for them to be in the rear seats... does that mean it is not illegal for them to be in the front just a matter of preference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexsum Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm You are a star thank you very much....argument settled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EncoreWRC Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Right.... I can answer this as a Traffic Cop...... The child needs to be in a suitable child restraint device affixed securley to the vehicle wherever possible... Simple.... No mention of Front, rear seats.... its to do with Age and height of the child, or the combination.... From memory the child needs to be over the age of 14 to wear a normal seatbelt and if they are under 14 or over 150cm tall they must use a "suitable" restraint. If a child seat or child under the age of 14 does travel in the front of the car, the airbag must be deactivated. However most cops won't know that bit..... nor would I really be overly concerned about it.. but there are some that might be.... mixed views on air bags as they can cause more harm than good... In the rear of the vehcile the law states a lot about being under 12 or 150cm tall and requiring a suitable restraint "wherever possible" I carry my girlfriends kids around int he back of the supra without a car seat due to the bucket seats. They have aids on the seatbelts to lover them but I feel they are safer liek that and would have arguements to make should I get stopped. Does this help?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Right.... I can answer this as a Traffic Cop...... The child needs to be in a suitable child restraint device affixed securley to the vehicle wherever possible... Simple.... No mention of Front, rear seats.... its to do with Age and height of the child, or the combination.... From memory the child needs to be over the age of 14 or over 4'10" Ooh I was hoping there was a copper around lol Do you mean that the child has to be over 14 or 4'10" to be without a proper child seat in the front? So my son in a forward facing child seat is alright in the front if i chose him to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 Right.... I can answer this as a Traffic Cop...... The child needs to be in a suitable child restraint device affixed securley to the vehicle wherever possible... Simple.... No mention of Front, rear seats.... its to do with Age and height of the child, or the combination.... From memory the child needs to be over the age of 14 to wear a normal seatbelt and if they are under 14 or over 150cm tall they must use a "suitable" restraint. If a child seat or child under the age of 14 does travel in the front of the car, the airbag must be deactivated. However most cops won't know that bit..... nor would I really be overly concerned about it.. but there are some that might be.... mixed views on air bags as they can cause more harm than good... In the rear of the vehcile the law states a lot about being under 12 or 150cm tall and requiring a suitable restraint "wherever possible" I carry my girlfriends kids around int he back of the supra without a car seat due to the bucket seats. They have aids on the seatbelts to lover them but I feel they are safer liek that and would have arguements to make should I get stopped. Does this help?? Yes that settles my argument nicely...thank you very much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havard Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Good thread. Basically your mate at work needs to get his facts right. You little un is fine in the front if there is no airbag..!! H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n boost Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Just curious, if a airbag is deployed then it normally will pop out say 1 foot. So if someone has a forward facing child seat in the front and has the passenger seat as far back as it goes, so creates say 2 foot of room in front of child seat. Is this not safe as well because their airbag can not reach the child seat? I mean in my m3 i have side airbags and curtain airbags in the rear, so a baby seat would be only inches away from them. The law is a bit confusing really and i have had this above debate with the manager of mothercare who seemed totally clueless as to what answer she should give me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Just curious, if a airbag is deployed then it normally will pop out say 1 foot. So if someone has a forward facing child seat in the front and has the passenger seat as far back as it goes, so creates say 2 foot of room in front of child seat. Is this not safe as well because their airbag can not reach the child seat? Yes I personally think that it is safe. It is IMO only because of rear facing (hence putting their heads in very close proximity of and directly in the firing LINE of the airbag) baby seats that there were a number of tragic instances of babies being killed that there is now this phobia/stigma of having kids in the front, however they are restrained and no matter how far back from the airbag they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike17 Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 One of my other arguments was that in a car like the supra, in a crash, it would be extremely difficult to get a child out of the back, and would probably end up having the roof cut off, where as in the front, even in a fairly heavy front end smash it would be a million times easier to get a child out...the guy at work did not think this was true either and said I was just being lazy because I didn't want to get him out of the back all the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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