Safety seating for child 128 cms

[Sue McG]

My granddaughter is almost 8 and tall, 128cms. The booster seat doesn't fit comfortably on the rock and roll bed seats. Is she safer in the front on a booster seat? The info online doesn't really deal with this!

[smurf]

If the booster doesn't fit properly in the back then you may have answered your own question. It isn't allowed to put a rear facing child seat in a front seat with an operational airbag, but beyond that I don't believe there are any legal restrictions to having children in the front, just a recommendation that they go in the rear.

 

In general, the rear of a car is the safest place for a child to be in the event of a crash. However, a child might be better in the front of a camper conversion as all the paraphernalia installed in the rear is an unknown quantity in a crash with a small person involved. 

[Rojie]

Hello Susan,

 

1. Using a child car seat or booster seat

Children must normally use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first.

Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.

You can choose a child car seat based on your child’s height or weight.

 

 

My reading of these DVLA guidelines is that your granddaughter is not, yet, tall enough, nor old enough to sit in the front seat.

 

Or, imho, in the back if the child seat cannot be secured legally

[smurf]

I'd have to respectfully disagree there Roger. Nowhere does it say a child cannot sit in a front seat, they just need to be compliant with the child seat requirements in whatever seat they are plonked.

[BigNev]

Hi guys!

From my own, personal, and recent, experience with my 2 daughters, if the booster seat does not sit soundly on the bed seats, leading to it being able to rock, then I would reckon she is better and safer in the front on the booster if it is more secure than the back.

Also, I would adjust the passenger seat as far back (and away from the air bag) as possible, and ensure the seat belt is adjusted for her shoulder height.

 

My 2 outgrew the full child seats so that their shoulders were too high to use the seatbelt correctly with the seat, although for the lateral impact safety we would much rather have had them in those seats, so went to the booster seats at probably only a little older than your grand daughter is now.

However, they were for the most part still in the mid row seats of our Grand Voyager, with the arm rests either side of those seats.

Still only 11 years old but now over 150cm.

[Rojie]

Under 1.35m tall

If the child is under 1.35m tall then they will need a booster seat or cushion - in this case it’s likely the appropriate restraint would be a ‘group 3 – for children weighing 22 -36kgs and roughly 6-11 years old', though you would need to confirm this by checking the child's height.

It is both legal and relatively safe for the cushions to be used in the front, but it is safer for them to be used in the rear of the car where possible (especially when an airbag is fitted). The child will need to use the booster cushion until they reach either 1.35cm or 12 years of age, then they will be legally allowed to travel in the front of the car with just a seatbelt as restraint.

 

Booster seats are acceptable in the front. Number 3 in this case.

So assuming only you and your granddaughter are the only travellers she can sit in the front (with the correct seat for her weight).

If another adult is travelling, as well, they will need to sit on the R & R seat.

 

 

[BigNev]

Yep, that's the one!