Reasons why children should not sit in the front seat of a car
Many places have rules that children are not allowed to sit in the front row until they are a certain age. These rules are aimed at protecting the safety of younger passengers.
Regulations on child car seating positions are quite similar in many different countries around the world. Basically, children are required not to sit in the front seat, mainly for the safety of this group of passengers when traveling in a car.
Children are not encouraged to sit in the front row.
In the UK, the law requires children aged between 3 and 12 years or no more than 135cm tall to sit in the back seat, either in a bassinet or in a specially designed booster seat. These seats must be appropriate for the child's age and height, and young passengers are also required to wear a seatbelt.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children from birth to 2-4 years old should be placed in a rear-facing car seat. This type of seat is not allowed in the front row, while parents are encouraged to keep their children in this type of seat for as long as possible to ensure safety.
When a child outgrows a rear-facing car seat, they can be placed in a forward-facing car seat. According to the CDC, children in this group are also encouraged to stay in a car seat until they are at least 5 years old or until they grow too tall and heavy to use this type of seat.
At that point, the child can transition to a booster seat, which is designed to fit the child in a car seat designed for an adult. This type of booster seat is required until the child no longer fits, or until they grow to the age of 9-12.
On its website, the US CDC also recommends that children should sit in the back seat and wear a seat belt until they are 13 years old.
In France, children under 10 years old are required to sit in the back seat, in a child seat. The same rule applies to children under 12 years old in Russia.
Why children should not sit in the front row
According to Parents, front-seat airbags are one of the main reasons why children under 13 should sit in the back seat.
Airbags are typically designed to protect average-sized adults. These safety features can deploy at speeds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h) and could cause serious injury to children in the event of a crash, rather than providing protection.
According to Ms. Jennifer McCue - injury prevention coordinator at Nemours Children's Hospital in Delaware, children are shorter than adults, so in the event of a collision, the airbag can deploy at the level of the child's head.
“This can be extremely dangerous and can lead to head or neck injuries and even death for children,” said Jennifer McCue.
According to Parents, children's skeletal systems are still in the development stage, making this group of passengers more likely to suffer serious injuries. Children's bones are more flexible and their bone density is not as high as that of adults, making them more susceptible to serious injuries than adults.
The front seat position also puts children closer to the typical impact point. Therefore, the rear seat is considered the ideal position to help children limit injuries in the event of a collision.
