child car seat height

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

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

The devils that drive… you nuts!
Sometimes the component of a car that most needs a safety upgrade is the nut holding the steering wheel, says EDDIE CUNNINGHAM.