Why Children Shouldn’t Sit in the Front Seat of a Car

It is recommended that children do not sit in the front seat when traveling by car. Photo: Healthline.

Regulations regarding the seating position of children in cars are quite similar in many different countries around the world. Essentially, children are required to not sit in the front row, mainly for their own safety when traveling in cars.

Children Are Not Encouraged to Sit in the Front

In the UK, the law states that children aged 3 to 12 years or shorter than 135 cm must sit in the back seat, placed in a crib or on a dedicated booster seat. These specialized seats must be appropriate for the child’s age and height, and young passengers are also required to wear seatbelts.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children from birth to 2-4 years of age be placed in a rear-facing car seat. This type of seat is not permitted in the front row, while parents are encouraged to keep their children in this type of seat for as long as possible to ensure safety.

When the child outgrows the rear-facing seat, they can be placed in a forward-facing car seat. According to the CDC, children in this group are also encouraged to remain in the car seat until at least the age of 5 or when their height and weight develop to a level where the seat can no longer be used.

CDC provides detailed guidance on traveling with children in cars. Photo: CDC.

At this point, children can transition to a booster seat, which helps ensure a proper fit for the child in the adult-sized vehicle seat. This type of booster seat is required until the child outgrows it or reaches the developmental stage of 9-12 years of age.

On its website, the CDC also recommends that children sit in the back seat and wear seatbelts until they are 13 years old.

In France, children under 10 years old are required to sit in the back seat and be placed in a child safety seat. A similar regulation is applied in Russia for children under 12 years of age.

Reasons Why Children Should Not Sit in the Front

According to Parents, the airbag equipped for the front passenger seat is one of the main reasons why children under 13 years old should sit in the back seat.

Airbags are typically designed to protect average-sized adults. This safety feature can deploy at speeds of up to 322 km/h and may cause serious injury to children in the event of a collision, instead of serving its protective function.

Children are encouraged to sit in the back seat. Illustration: BabyCenter.

According to Jennifer McCue, injury prevention coordinator at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware, children are shorter than adults, so in the event of a collision, the airbag could deploy at the level of the child’s head.

“This can be extremely dangerous and can lead to head or neck injuries or even death for children,” said Jennifer McCue.

According to Parents, the skeletal system of children is still in the developmental stage, which makes this group of passengers more susceptible to serious injuries. Children’s bones are more flexible and less dense than those of adults, making them more prone to dangerous injuries in the event of a collision.

The front-row position also places children closer to the typical point of impact in a collision. Therefore, the back seat is considered the ideal position to help children reduce injuries in the event of a crash.