can an toddler car seat be placed in the front seat?

Question

I wouldnt reccomend, it just that I saw this happen a few times now. They had a small truck. I have a van, so my daughter is in the back.

Answer 1

no it should never be in the front but with the truck u have to be sure to put the seat all the way back

Answer 2

Generally the answer is no. There are exceptions.

If it's a truck with only one bench, then yes. Put them on the passenger side and make sure the airbag is off. The center is a no no because the driver's side airbag can impact the seat or child. However, the ideal situation would be to take a different vehicle.

The other exception I can think of off the top of my head is in a car where all the seats will be filled. Someone who inherits kids who doesn't have a bigger car, for instance (a lady I talked with once was adopting her nieces and nephews after her sister suddenly died). In the instance of a full car you put the oldest HARNESSED child in front. So if you had two boosters, a forward facing harnessed child, and a rear facing harnessed child, the forward facing harnessed child would go in the front and the boosters and rear facing child in the back.

Those are the only two situations where it's ok to put kids in the front. It's not ideal by any means, and they should be avoided. They're far less safe than a kid appropriately restrained in the back. However it is rarely illegal and sometimes necessary.

Oh, there is a third situation I can think of. If the car has no seatbelts in the back. We were taking a taxi in China in January to the airport from downtown Shanghai and the taxis only had a seatbelt in the front passenger seat. So I put my daughter's seat in there (no airbag) and I sat in the back unrestrained. Not ideal, but seeing as that was the one and only seatbelt, she got it. She's also sat next to me in the front in a rental truck which only had one bench seat.

Answer 3

Well if there are no other seats (like in a truck) then its ok. As long as its not rear facing with an airbag.....backseat is safest for children under 12. But some trucks don't have backseats and the ones that have sideways backseats aren't safe/made for car seats so the front would be safest. Just turn off the airbag if you can!

Answer 4

I would say not. As everyone else has pointed out, there is still the risk of the at least the dash board, though if you properly strapped in the car seat and your child I doubt the windshield would be too big a worry (in theory) but still things could come flying through the windshield. I'd say the risk is too great. I would not do it and I would never advise anyone else to. Besides, what if the sensors died or malfunctioned? Scary thought.

Answer 5

a toddler car seat can go in the front only if the airbag is not activated and the airbag has been chipped so it doesn't go off in an accident but good for you i have 4 kids and none of them have ever been in the front well done so many make that step just for convenience

Answer 6

No child can be in the front seat until they are 12 years old.

Answer 7

No it shouldn't be placed in the front, the back is the safest spot. Any child under 12 should no even sit in the front, unless they meet the height recommendation.

Answer 8

The car seat can be in the front - but NOT with the child in it!! :)

Answer 9

Only if there is no airbag and then I still would not recommend it but sometimes people with pick up trucks have no choice.

Answer 10

No I dont think that that is right. I have heard that you should only put them in the back. That's what I do with my own kids as well.