If you drive in the car with children, you will probably find that you are fascinated to sit in the front seat.
It makes sense because the front seats are often only a domain for adults, so they are excited to see what the excitement is about.
If you drive forward, you can feel grown up and give you a better view of the street. It also gives you closer to you (and all these tempting radio and flight controls).
But how safe is it to drive shotgun for you? When should you give in to your constant requests and when does the law say that children are old enough to sit in the passenger seat? You need to know the following.
Children from 12 years or over 135 cm tall can sit in the front seat when wearing a seat belt. (Getty Images)
When can a child sit legally in the front seat?
The age that a child can sit in the front seat depends on whether it uses a car seat or a seat chair or not.
Without a car seat
The law states that a child has to use a car seat or a house seat up to the age of 12 or if it is 135 cm tall, depending on what comes first. (There are a small number of exceptions, including trips to taxis and trainers).
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Children can sit in the front seat with a seat belt when they are Older than 12 or over 135 cm.
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It is the responsibility of the driver that children under the age of 14 have a seat belt or are on the right car seat, and they could be fined £ 500 if this is not the case.
With a car seat
The Royal Society to prevent accidents (Rospa) for child seats for strollers says that it is safer for children in a car seat to sit in the back of a car. However, this is not always possible and they can be adjusted at the front if necessary.
Children are Legal in a car or amplifier seat at the front of any ageProvided you use the right children’s restrictions. However, there are some safety rules that you have to follow, depending on the type of car seat you use.
The front driver must be deactivated before a car seat is directed to the front. (Getty Images)
Autositz backwards
Babies and toddlers should sit in a backward car seated for at least 15 months. Backward seats offer greater protection for the head, neck and spine of a baby as a forward -looking seats, and Rospa advises you to keep your child in it as long as possible.
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If you insert a back seat to the back seat, You have to disable the airbag by law.
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You should never insert a back seat to the back if there is an active passenger. If it improves, your child’s seat is hit with considerable strength and can lead to serious injuries.
To the front car seats and rental seats
Forward -facing car seats can be used if your child is at least 15 months old. Back -free booster seats can be used as soon as they weigh more than 22 kg or are more than 125 cm.
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If you use a car seat or a room seat in front of the car, you should Move the seat as far as it will go.
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This means that your child is as far as possible from the dashboard and reduces the risk of head or breast injuries caused by the dashboard or airbag in an accident.
Children with disabilities and illnesses
According to GOV.UK, the same front seat and car seat rules apply to children with disabilities or illnesses. If necessary, however, you can use the seat belt of a disabled person or a children with reluctance to your needs.
A doctor can also issue an exception certificate if his condition means that he cannot use a seat belt or a restraint.
If possible, Rospa advises that it is safer that children are placed in the back in car seats. (Getty Images)
How safe is it for a child to sit in the front seat?
If your child uses a car seat, we always recommend putting it in a suitable child seat on the rear seats, regardless of whether they go back or forth, “said Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager from Rospa to Yahoo UK.
“If there is space in the back and the back, it is safer for you.
“This is partly due to the fact that an open airbag can lead to serious injuries at the front, but if you buy car seats, the manufacturer will make a recommendation from the space in your back it is that you can travel better.”
If the instructions from the car seat manufacturer do not say otherwise, Guy adds: “Usually we recommend that if you travel a child in your car, unless the seat can be installed on the middle seat, you are better on the back passenger sides. If you park, you will usually get out on the road side rather than on a busy street.”
For children from the age of 12 or those who have reached 135 cm, she adds. If you want, you can sit in front with the seat belt for adults.
If you fear that your child can distract you or impair the controls of the car when driving in the passenger seat, it is safer that you are sitting in the back.
What should be checked when buying car seats
An investigation by the Consumer Group which? It has found that non -regulated car seats are sold by online individual dealers in Great Britain, including eBay and Shein. The platforms have removed these elements since then.
Although the seats have not been officially tested, they were defects, including a lack of ancillary influences and not a single release point for the dishes, which makes it difficult to save a child in an accident.
Regardless of whether your child travels in front or back in a car seat, what are the most important safety markers you should look for?
“There will also be one of two regulations on all car seats that are legally sold in Great Britain.
“If you can, we also recommend buying a car seat in the shop. It can be easier to buy than online because you can talk to someone who knows about the car seats, and you can usually check whether it is compatible with your car and show you how you fit it.”