Front seat or back?

Which is safer for children in cars?

You've bought the best child seat you can afford and know that it can be fitted securely in the car, but where's the best place to put it? Up-front with you where they can see what's going on, or behind you in the back seat?

Children are best carried in the rear. The most common type of accident involves an impact to the front of the car which means that the back seat is a safer place to travel. The centre rear seat is the safest place of all - assuming the child is properly restrained in a suitable child seat - because here they are less likely to strike deforming, intruding structures in frontal and side impacts.

Having said that, if it's just you and one child in the car then it might be best for the child to ride up-front - as long as they use an appropriate child restraint. The closer contact may be more reassuring for the child and less distracting for you.

If your child is still in a rear-facing seat then this will have to be fitted in the rear of the car if the front passenger seat is protected by an airbag that cannot be switched off. An active airbag will cause severe injury or death to a child lying with its head so close if it fires in an accident.

If you're using a forward-facing restraint on the front passenger seat, move the seat well back on its runners to increase the distance between the child and dashboard/airbag.

You as the driver are responsible if a child is being carried and not wearing an available seat belt or restraint. Read more about seat belt law here.

 

12 August 2011