At what age, height, or weight are children ok to sit in the front seat of a car with passenger side airbags?

Answer 1

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that no one under 13 sit in front of an airbag. There are several reasons for this. Children's bone and muscle structure really begins to strenghten at about this age, when the sex hormones kick in. (That's why most trainers discourage anyone younger than that from lifting weights.) Secondly, should the airbag deploy at full power, it deploys at about 200 mph. The passenger side bag deploys straight out toward the passenger and then directs air to the top of the bag - in other words, the motion of deployment is out, then up - just like an uppercut in boxing. This would be like exposing your child to a 200 mph uppercut from Mike Tyson - not something most parents would sign their child up for.

Your next issue here may be booster seats for the child seated in the rear. The recommendation here is that until a child can sit properly on the rear seat and have his or her legs fold over the seat cushion, then they should be in a belt positioning booster. This ensures that the lap belt is over the child's hips - not his abdomen - and that the shoulder belt does not cut across the child's neck.

Most of all, don't be in a hurry to move your child out of protected positions or protective devices. The largest cause of death for young children is still automobile accidents. Even for short trips to the store or to school, please take the time to buckle everyone up securely - that's one thing I doubt you'll ever be sorry for. Good luck

Answer 2

Age 12

Answer 3

There is an issue with front air bags, and even small adults can be injured. I believe the height which can be cause for concern is in the area of 62" and under.

Here's a general thing on air bags and the fact that when it comes to children the safety rules are different than for adults.

http://www.aap.org/family/airbag.htm (These people say age 13.)

The National Highway Safety people say that people need to check their vehicle to know what requirements the side air bags of that particular car meet. Details of what to look for are at:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/airbags/pages/SABFAQs.htm


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Answer 4

check the owners manual in the airbag section, it should match the seatbelt instructions. In ontario a child must be 4'2" to use a lap belt. Also you could check on the web under airbag safety, or check with the consumers reports on children/airbag accidents, Be careful and be safe.

Answer 5

depends on what state you are in, different state have different regulations. In mine, you can sit a child in the front anytime as long as it is a forward facing seat and there is no airbag.

Answer 6

10 or 12 depends on the state I think

Answer 7

At least 60 lbs and around 12.

Answer 8

Probably depends on the state..in Ohio i think you have to be 4'9''.