Is it safe to have a 6 yr old (44inches) sit in front seat of Pick up truck?

Question

My husband has a Old Nissan Pickup truck. It is 1991. I am really uncomfortable with my kids riding in the front of any vehicle. There are no airbags in the passenger side, and it only has a front seat. My husband wants to take my daughter to see his sister in Long Island (2 hours from home) traveling on very busy highways such as the Belt Parkway and L.I.E... and I dont want him to go because our daughter is a VERY small 6 yr old (7 in august) and is only 44 inches tall and 40 lbs. I am nervous with the whole front seat thing ...If there was a accident ....I will give myself a heart attack just thinking about it...Do you think I am overreacting and she would be fine for a 2 hour drive...or Is this a Definite huge NO NO?

Answer 1

Just make sure she is safely strapped into her normal car seat / booster seat.  Since the truck has no passenger airbags, there shouldn't be a safety concern with that.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "All children younger than 13 years should ride in the back seat. If absolutely necessary, a child in a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness may be the best choice to ride in front. Just be sure the vehicle seat is moved as far back away from the dashboard (and the air bag) as possible."

It is not illegal in New York for a child under age 12 to ride in the front seat but they recommend against it.

Answer 2

not really ! but if he has to then put the child in a booster seat so that she can meet the size required for the seat belt.remember when that truck was built it met all government safety requirements of that time.it is not unsafe anymore then when we were kids and our parents would not only not belt us in ,we would stand on the front seats!I know you want her safe but safety in todays cars are just better. but that does not mean cars in the ninetys were not

Answer 3

In my opinion there are laws for a reason.  They are there to protect the children who are too young and illeducated to make infomed decisions for themselves...or in like in your case, one parent disagrees with the other.

I believe that a 6 year old needs to be buckled in a car seat or booster in the back seat of a car.  

Not everyone agrees with me when it comes to carseat saftey but a law is a law.  Check with the fire department for the local laws and how they might apply to your family.

Answer 4

My first question is:does you child ride with an approved booster seat?  Children need booster seats until they are

at least 57 inches tall.  This is the law in Califonia.



Rear facing seats should never be used in the front seat if the vehicle contains an active passenger-side airbag. Although not mandated, the safest place for your child of any age is in the back seat of the vehicle.  



** Independent of regulations, children between the ages of 4 and 8, or weighing under 80 lbs, should sit in a booster seat.  

Ther is also a table and more info but I couldn't get it on here in the correct format.  Just check http://www.infant-car-seats.com/states/c...





NOTE: Some sections have age, weight, or height guidelines as well; for example, "Required (>57in Only)" means that you need this restraint only for children more than 57 inches in height, and "Not Necessary (Except <57in)" means that you don't need this restraint except if your child is less than 57 inches in height.

These tables are intended as guidelines. They are a quick reference to help you get an idea of what you might need. We're not the authority, though, so this may not be the whole story. Here are some things you can do to make sure you've got it straight:

- If you want more information, you can always check out www.nhtsa.gov or www.highwaysafety.org. These are great resources for everything related to car safety.

- If you're unclear on anything at all, or if you want to be sure you get all the details, you can also contact your state legislature here.

- There are some "common sense" guidelines that you should consider as well, such as never using an infant seat in the front passenger seat when there's a working front airbag. If in doubt, put your child in the rear seat and use a child restraint or booster until your child has definitely grown out of them. It can't hurt.

Answer 5

everyone who is saying "never take chances!" and stuff, the reason they say not to let kids in the front is because of airbags and stuff, and because the back has slightly more protection, but honestly, if the kid is in a child safety seat, and the seat is installed properly and as far back from the dashboard as possible, it is pretty safe with no airbag.  i used to ride in the front seat of 1991 cars all the time when i was little, and it was ok, anytime you get into a car is a risk, and this one isn't much bigger at all than just getting into a car.

Answer 6

I wouldn't be too worried about it, this car should have a good crumple zone if anything were to happen but i suspect your husband is a careful driver when his family are with him.

If your wondering what a crumple zone is its a point in the car (At the front) where if there were a collision the front would take most of the impact before reaching the occupants

Answer 7

No it is not safe and you should not take this chance on this child.

Answer 8

It's certainly safer than letting him ride in the truck bed. Where else are you going to put him?

Answer 9

No never take chances

Answer 10

NO!